Reckless
by LadyofBone
Summary: She's stubborn, has a slight temper, distant and above all, reckless. Eva's small business has been the only light in her life, but what happens when you throw four mutant turtles into the mix? And what happens when one is willing to find a way through the high walls she's built? Rating may or may not change depending on the story! Please feel free to review!
1. Prologue

The dark streets of New York were chilly, the wind biting at the young woman's face as her feet carried her rapidly down the pavement. She knew hitting him over the head would piss him off, but she _had_ to do it anyway! That mugging was none of her business but she just had to play the freaking hero! She cursed under her breath, taking a sharp turn into an alleyway, hoping she had gained enough ground to give the large assailant the slip.

A small space between the dumpster and some old boxes provided the perfect hiding spot for the young woman to wedge her small frame as the heavy sounds of footsteps came rapidly closer. She concentrated, lowering her heart rate and slowing her breathing, the cold air making her lips quiver slightly. Silently, she watched the dark figure pass, his voice growling something low and inaudible. She would have stayed in the spot longer but the unforgiving mid-September air had begun to slip through the unflattering coat she had thrown on just fifteen minutes prior. Where were the police when you needed them?

Slowly, and as quietly as possible, she slipped from the hiding spot and made a break for the open streets. Suddenly, a hand shot out from the edge of the wall, catching her arm and jerking so that the large male's hand squeezed around her throat.

"Thought you could get away, didn't ya punk?" his voice grunted, pushing her small body roughly against the brick wall, causing a struggled cough from her chest.

His hold on her throat grew tighter, a fist suddenly driving its way into her gut, the coat barely providing cushioning. A soft gasp made its way out, her blocked airway making it impossible to scream or call for help as several more landed in her torso before there was a sudden rush of air, then the feeling of hard, cold concrete smacking the side of her face. Foggy vision barely allowed her to watch a large shape punching the man that had held her by the throat.

Stubbornly, she pushed herself from the ground, forcing her throbbing body to comply despite the black spots appearing within the corners of her vision. Something trickled down her lip, most likely blood. In the dark space, her well-adjusted eyes hardly made out the shape, a couple others seeming to come from nowhere. Was she suddenly seeing double? No, quadruple? She urged a heavy foot forward. Her whole body felt like it was carrying cinder blocks, and the black within her vision suddenly started to spread beyond her control.


	2. Chapter 1

**Hoi! Author here! Hope this story turns out as well as I hope it will! I'll be sure to forewarn of any spicy streaminess or blood and stuff so no worries! And don't forget to tell me what you think! BTW the description of the OC will be a little weird at first but it'll make sense later I promise!**

"Hey Donnie, 'dis guy don't look so good" Raphael stated, nudging his brother's arm, directing their attention to the wavering figure in the darkness.

Seeing the civilian up and moving after being beaten was somewhat alarming for all of them, not knowing whether to disappear and leave this boy to his fate, or help. Donnie took a cautious step forward, hands held in front of him.

"Sir, you've been beaten up pretty bad, are you alright?" he asked, having to somewhat squint through the darkness, hardly able to make out the short hair much less any significant features. The turtle figured with an estimated height of about 5'6, this must be a teenager. They all stood waiting for an answer, but never received one until the figure suddenly let their weight give way, almost hitting the pavement had Donatello not caught them.

"What now Leo? Try to drop them off at the hospital?" Don asked, turning his attention toward the eldest, who seemed to be in deep thought about their choices.

The last time they had tried to leave someone at a hospital, it had lead them to nearly being caught both on camera and by the passing security. Too risky.

"Oh! Oh! Can we take'em home? I mean, Donnie could just knock them out and stuff if they freak out, like it was all a bad dream!"Mikey eagerly suggested, raising his hand enthusiastically into the air. Despite being in their mid-twenties their youngest brother still hadn't came out of his child-like nature. Leonardo pinched the bridge of his nose, not likeing their options one bit.

"We don't really have a choice. Let's head back to the lair so Donnie can take a look at him, but go straight to the lab. I want as less seen as possible when he wakes up" Leo stated firmly, watching the youngest dance about happily, drawing a deep sigh from the blue masked turtle. Master Splinter wouldn't be pleased.

Hoisting his new patient into his arms, Donnie followed his other three brothers as they took to the rooftops, making their way back toward the lair.

"My sons, you have returned" Master Splinter greeted, however raised an eyebrow toward the form laying within Donatello's arms. His sharp eyes immediately went toward his eldest, who's face held a tired sigh.

"I'll explain everything Master" Leonardo stated, taking a seat on the couch while Donnie carried his patient into the lab, setting them onto the table.

Once in the light, the purple masked turtle couldn't help but notice the particular shape of his patient's face despite the short, male-like cut their dark brown, nearly black, hair was styled. Curiously, his fingers pulled down the zipper of the large coat they wore, eyebrows raising. Well now, this made things a little more interesting. The turtle proceeded to unwrap the young female from the coat, making sure to be as gentle as physically possible. Underneath was nothing more than a simple black strapped shirt, far from suitable for a cold night in New York City. Perhaps this was a clue, meaning she possible wasn't expecting to be out long. Starting at the legs, the turtle examined further as he rolled the pants up to her knees.

Bruises here and there but nothing major, but well muscled, possibly meaning she was a runner. Upon raising the bottom half of her shirt, however, Donatello gave a slight grimace.

There were already large bruises forming along the rib cage area, and the mid-region of her slender stomach. Worrying for internal bleeding, he proceeded with a series of other examinations, later coming to the relieving result that luckily, her organs were most likely only bruised.

Donatello looked toward the female with amusement. For someone built so small to take that kind of beating there most likely should have been more damage. Raising from his chair, he figured it best to leave her to rest.

The others were still sitting with Master Splinter when Donnie stepped out of his lab.

"So how's he holding up Don" Leo asked, his expression carrying concern, whether it was for the patient or what they had possibly spoken of in his absence, he wasn't sure.

"Well, _she_ was somehwat lucky in obtaining the injuries she did. Nothing is broken, and there's no internal bleeding so everything should be fine given it isn't pushed" Donatello replied, barely phased by the questioning looks from his brothers.

"Wait, _she?_ " Raphael asked, cocking an eyebrow beneath his mask.

"I suppose between getting here and the darkness, we just assumed…." Leo said, letting his words trail off as their father hardly seemed phased, only raising from the couch.

"We will see how things result. For now, let us rest, my sons" Splinter recommended, making his way to the dojo, the rest of the turtles following the old rat's lead to their own rooms.


	3. Chapter 2

She awoke from the deep slumber her body had been in to the sounds of a television. Had she left the T.V. on last night? The thought was quickly swiped away once the memories of before she had passed out surfaced. Her eyes finally pulled themselves open, thankful for the dim lighting, however, it became obvious that the young woman wasn't in the safety of her own home or, thankfully, a hospital.

Slowly, she pulled herself into a sitting position, ignoring the pain that coursed through her abdomen. Glancing around, the girl took in the small lab that she sat in, noticing the tables that were filled with beakers, tools and liquids, even metal parts. Someone had an interesting hobby. A voice suddenly caught her sensitive ears, making the female freeze in place to listen. A male, gruff and deep, yelling something about not being able to find the remote. The breath she hadn't realized she had been holding released itself as the girl pushed herself carefully from the table.

Finding the knob, the door was hesitantly opened, letting her peak outside. The space was extremely large, and judging by the smell it was quite obvious where she was, but why the sewers?

Movement caught her eye, making her immediately turn her attention to see...a giant...walking...turltle?!

From a distance, size was hard to judge but as she watched, the figure sat with 3 others, all wearing colored masks over their face. The possibility of communication rose, unless there was a human down here using them or keeping them safe. So the rumors about mutants running about the city had really been true. Sucking up all of her courage and swallowing as much fear as possible, she pulled the door open further.

"Excuse me?" her quiet, hoarse voice carried across the room, making the four of them cease all movement and turn to look at her. Ok, now she was suddenly feeling self-conscious.

The soft, unfamiliar voice certainly caught the group's attention, making them turn to see who they had originally thought to be a male standing in the doorway of Donnie's lab. Hearing from their brother about the patient being a female was one thing, but now as they got a good look, things were a bit more obvious.

Despite the short cut of her dark hair, the female's face was too delicate-looking to be a male's. With high cheek bones, small, yet full, lips and a curved nose, but the finisher was definitely her dark, piercing eyes that watched their every move with extreme caution. It was almost like being under the watchful eye of a cat.

Each of them exchanged looks, taking the moment to make sure the first thing she didn't do was scream. Taking their time to stand, Donnie took the opportunity to make a careful step forward.

"Hello, don't be scared, We found you in an alleyway and brought you here. You were beaten pretty severely" Keeping his voice even with the slow approach toward the girl who hadn't moved from the door, examining each of them.

Raphael, Leonardo and Michelangelo stayed where they were, not wanting to spook the girl any more than she possibly was. That is, that they could tell from her blank expression.

"What time is it?" were the next words that came from her lips, soft but hoarse, making them look at one another, puzzled.

"Around 5pm" Donnie replied after glancing at his shell cell, looking to see her nodding in understanding. Most likely, from her current state, she was in shock. This was only half true in reality.

"I need to get home" she mumbled, looking at each of them.

"Unfortunately, we can't allow that right now" Leonardo spoke up, crossing his muscled arms over his chest. Her eyes now snapped in his direction, the turtle feeling a sudden weight from her stare. Interesting.

"Why not?"

"You've seen us, we can't just let you go"

"You know, secrecy and junk, but no worries we're cool" Mikey added, attempting to lighten the heavy air. Her expression, however, never phased.

"How long?"

"Until we see fit you can be trusted" Leo stated, his leader attitude showing through heavily. Personally, Donatello wasn't liking where this was going.

"I can't do that" was the soft, yet firm reply to Leo's answer before her eyes switched toward Donatello, "Thank you for helping me, but I have to go"

That was when she continued to walk toward the tunnel leading into the sewers. It only took around half of a second for Leo to flip into her path.

"I'm sorry, but we can't let you leave" he repeated, however, raised an eyebrow toward a particular glint within the female's eyes. Leo didn't like that look one bit.

Suddenly, as if a switch had flipped, she took off in the direction of another tunnel. All of them now taken off guard at how suddenly her intentional direction had changed.

"Mikey!" Leo bellowed, his little brother never wasting a second to dive into her path.

"Sorry dudette, can't let you get away" The orange masked turtle chimed, however his attempt at grabbing her while skidding to a stop failed when the young woman ducked and ran back across the room.

At the speed she was going, Raphael took advantage of the situation, stepping into the directed path, waiting for her to run right into his grip. Unfortunately for his plan, the female pulled a fake-out, somehow being able to shift and make a split-second change of direction while Raph was still recovering from the attempt to catch her.

"Eh? What the hell?" Raphael yelled in horror as he nearly fell on his face before charging after her.

Donatello took his chance, timing his grab perfectly when she dodged a second too slow, his hand enclosing firmly around the female's arm.

"Gotchya!" he proclaimed in victory, which could only be short lived as the girl wriggled in his grip, she somehow wormed free.

"Thought ya had'er Donnie!" Raphael spat, each of them trying to herd the loose girl into a circle.

"Raph, your left!" Leo exclaimed after his chance slipped through once again, only for his brother to narrowly miss after falling for the same trick as before.

"It's like tryin' ta catch a fuckin' cat!"

"Raphael, language!" The eldest scolded as they were finally able to herd the rampant young woman into a tightening circle around the couch.

"Gotchya sweetheart" Raphael chuckled with victory. She almost looked like a deer in headlights while frantically looking for a way out of the situation until her eyes finally landed on the couch.

Without thinking twice, the small girl charged at the couch, one foot planting on the arm before she launched herself through the air with impressive strength, the tiny body even seeming to hunch up to gain further distance.

What was that thought about a deer again?

They could only freeze, starring in shock as she flew over Mikey's head and landed with barely a stumble, taking her freedom to the tunnels.


	4. Chapter 3

Pain rattled throughout her abdomen with every step, but there was no way that she could stop knowing whoever those mutants were would be close on her tail. The sewers were dark, making it hard to see even after her eyes had adjusted. There had to be a ladder around here somewhere! She thought frantically, hearing one of their voices not yards behind her.

Disappear! She had to disappear! Quickly, she ducked behind one of the corners, finding a pipe to wedge her small body into. The smell was nearly intolerable but if it meant a safe place to hide, she would take it without complaint.

One. Two. Three...she listened to the sound of their footsteps, waiting until the fourth passed before slowly climbing out and making a break for the opposite direction. Around five tiring minutes later, she found a ladder leading up to a manhole which the small girl was barely able to lift and manage to escape the sewers and find her bearings, thankfully making it safely home a few hours later

T3T3T3T3T3T3T3T3T3T

It'd been a couple days since her…..experience. It had taken over a day for everything to actually kick in and register what exactly had happened. She hadn't called the police because, other than the fact that no one would have believed her, the large mutants understandably were only trying to protect their secrecy. The thought of what would have happened had she agreed to their terms and stayed had crossed her mind, however that was impossible.

Sighing, she slumped tiredly across a chair after having done water changes in every aquarium she owned, something that literally took an entire day. The thought now occurred that this entire process would have to be repeated the next day, only with the reptile tanks instead of the fish. And the shipments, she couldn't forget about those or the scheduled pickups. These schedules were her livelihood, but even though it was tiring, at the same time it was something she wouldn't trade for anything.

She lived in a three story building near the outskirts of New York City. The first of the three was used for the animals that were up for sale after being rehabilitated or brought in by local breeders to sell with a portion of the profit. The second contained animals that were currently in conditions that prevented them from being sold, bred herself or were in quarantine. The third and highest story was her own personal living quarters along with where she kept her own personal collection that were either pets or breeders. " _Claws, Paws & Fins_" was a business that had taken off quite well for her.

A sudden knocking sound startled her from the relaxed state, turning complete attention toward the electric baby monitor that had been set up so she would be able to hear at the front door on the first story. Checking the time, the female noticed that it was already passed 9:30pm, way too late for deliveries and she wasn't expecting anyone. Standing from the chair she gave a slight grunt of pain, the bruises still plaguing her abdomen, before fixing her dark blue strap top and blue jeans.

More knocking.

Carefully, she made her way down the stairways and into the small walk-in room set up around the front door of the bottom story for taking off and storing her shoes. The knocking continued until she swung the door open, sharp eyes traveling upward to the four large shapes blocking the exit. The one in the orange mask gave a giant, goofy grin, waving a three-fingered hand.

"Hey dudette! We totally found you!" he exclaimed happily.

After standing there for a few seconds more, the young woman proceeded to calmly, and slowly close the door and lock it. With a sudden burst of panic and speed, she flew up the three sections of stairs until slamming the door to her apartment shut.

T3T3T3T3T3T3T3T3T3T3T

An dis' is what we get for listenin' ta Mikey" Raphael huffed, looking up at the front door.

"Hey at least she didn't scream" Their youngest brother protested.

Leonardo sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He loved his brother but times like these tried his patience. They were mainly suppose to be here to talk, nothing more, but that didn't seem to be the way things would go.

"Spread out and search for open windows. I'll take the third floor, Donnie and Raph, grab the second, hopefully we can head her off there. And Mikey, stay here at the front and guard the door in case of the small chance she should slip past us" their oldest brother instructed before they all spread out to search for openings.

"Found one, Leo, what about you?" Donnie notified over their coms once he and Raphael were able to scale the building and sneak through an unlocked window on the second floor. A light splash startled them both, making Donnie turn on his flashlight and shine it around the pitch black room. Tanks of various sizes filled with water and several varieties of fish surrounded the two as they strode carefully toward the door.

"What the hell?" Raphael mumbled, watching a catfish of some-sort dark under a log that lay in a bare bottomed aquarium.

"Donnie, I've found a way in on the third floor, you and Raph get into position" Leo stated, snapping the other two at attention.

"Right, keep us posted" Donnie replied, opening the door to a lit, open spaced area where more tanks lined the walls, this time with animals of other variety, "Raph, go about mid-way up the stairs, I'll cover the door so she can't get past"

"I see where yer goin' with this" his red masked brother said, walking to the indicated point on the stairway.

"Right, she's still injured so I doubt she'll pull anything too hasty like last time and the space this time is enclosed so according to my calculation of possible outcomes, this should work" Donatello said, going to ready himself at the doorway to the first floor.

"Raph! Donnie! She's coming your way!" Leo's voice called, nearly right on time. Apparently trying to talk definitely hadn't panned out.

Raphael smirked once his eyes caught sight of the familiar face if the girl that had given them the slip in the sewers. She skidded to a stop on the steps, eyes widening toward the much larger turtle.

"Got ya now sweetheart" he mumbled, taking a step closer, spying Leo at the top of the stairs, blocking her in. They had her now!

Suddenly, before they could register what had happened, the female had swung over the wooden railing, sliding down the poles before leaping all the way down to the second floor, her feet landing with a light _thud_ before taking off.

"Damn it! Donnie, what about yer plan?" Raphael yelled down to their shell shocked brother.

"Apparently I miscalculated!" Donatello replied, scratching the back of his head, hearing the simultaneous beat of Leo and Raph's decent.

"A cat. A _fucking cat!"_ Raphael spat as he and Leo rushed after the human girl who had darted quickly into one of the four rooms. Trying the knob, Leonardo found it locked. Well, at least there was the possibility of talking now.


	5. Chapter 4

She crumbled against the door, clenching her jaw from the agonizing pain that pulsed through her abdomen. The running was enough but that jump had been like a sword cutting through her tolerance to pain. Her veins throbbed from the pumping adrenaline, muscles twitching with anticipation and fear.

"Well, I didn't intend for it to come to this but I suppose we'll have to speak this way" came the voice of the blue masked turtle mutant, the soft sound of the carpet shifting from his weight on the other side of the door as he sat.

"I would have stayed" she cut him off, already having a feeling where this conversation was going. His words paused, seeming surprised with her quick perception. Her voice still wasn't quite up to par but was soft all the same.

"Then why did you run?"

"Really? I thought it was common courtesy to at least assume someone has a job, but that never occurred to you did it?" she snapped slightly, but then reeled herself in. That was the pain talking.

"I know you were only protecting yourselves"

"You still could have said something" he protested from the other side.

"I'm sticking with my previous statement. On top of that, how did you expect someone to react to four huge mutant turtles walking around on two legs that can speak english?" she countered.

"Usually they scream" another voice spoke up, her ears perking to attention.

"Or call the cops" a different voice added, which was rough and held a brooklyn accent.

"Either way, we can't have you telling anyone about us" the blue masked male stated firmly. Well he was just a bucket of sunshine, wasn't he?

"I haven't. Cops would think I'm crazy and I don't have any friends or nearby family so your secret is safe" she attempted to make a shot in the dark, but it didn't seem to do much in her favor.

"It's still a risk"

"I'm not leaving! You can forget it!" The young woman snapped, temper flaring toward the turtle on the other side where a heavy sigh could be heard.

"Then, we will just have to figure out a schedule and take shifts keeping an eye on you. Now, will you please come out of that room? My brother would like to take a look at your wounds from a couple nights ago"

The young woman thought on this for a moment, standing to hesitantly unlock the door. What choice did she really have at this point? Very slowly the door crept open, her face peeking out to see the one in the blue mask still sitting with his legs crossed while the one in purple stood not too far off with the red masked turtle leaning on the far wall. Where was the fourth?

"Guys, you have _got_ to see the cool stuff downstairs!" came the voice of the missing turtle as he came hopping up the stairway, pausing when seeing their current situation, "Oh! You caught her!"

"Not exactly" the blue masked turtle replied, standing from his sitting position before turning to look at the girl, opening a hand to her, "My apologies for not doing this sooner. I'm Leonardo, or Leo for short if you'd like"

She hesitated, looking at the offered hand a moment before reaching to very lightly take it in her grip. Her hands were lightly calloused, but still retained a certain softness, something that Leo found interesting as he released her hand and turned to the others, indicating for them to do the same.

"Donatello, but you can call me Donnie or Don" the one in the purple mask introduced himself after approaching, holding out his hand also. Their hands were both calloused and rough with firm grips and long ago she had taken notice of the weaponry they carried with them. She made a mental note to ask later.

"Raphael" the gruff red masked turtle spoke up from the wall, yet didn't approach, only waving once. She could appreciate his silent demand for space, however her own bubble was popped when the orange masked turtle came charging up.

"The great Michelangelo, at your service! Mikey would be great though" he corrected himself, shaking her hand firmly. She let him, taking her hand back when her abdomen began to hurt again. Donatello seemed to notice this, coming forward.

"If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to take a look at your wounds. You took quite the beating the other night" he said with concern.

"No, its fine, I just pushed it a little jumping off the stairway" she replied, holding a hand up when she felt he was too close, "It'll heal"

"Geez, she sounds like someone we know" Mikey chuckled, Raph curling his lip from the far wall, letting a growl of warning toward the other turtle.

"Speaking of which, we never got your name" Leonardo said in realization, turning to look at the shorter female. She appeared so small in comparison to all of them, from her height down to the petite figure.

"Evangeline" was her hoarse answer, sharp eyes still watching each one of them with distrust. Eva could only wonder what the blue masked turtle, Leonardo, would have planned for her.


	6. Chapter 5

Mikey gave a deep inhale, slumping down in the living room couch on the third story where, for the past three hours, he had done nothing but play video games. Leo had stuck him with first watch, which wasn't too bad until he had grown bored of looking around, leaving the young woman to her chores. She didn't really talk much but after noticing the turtle's boredom, had given him permission to play games on her Xbox 360.

The youngest of the group glanced toward the clock, seeing that it was only 8:30, still another half hour until he could meet with his brothers for patrol. Mikey let out an exasperated groan after turning the game off. He was _so bored_!

"Zeus, I said _stop!_ I swear, I'll give you something to eat in a second!" Evangeline's voice came from the floor below, drawing Michelangelo's curiosity. Who was she talking to?

Standing from the couch, he quietly made his way down the stairs, following the sounds of her protests. About mid-way down, Mikey glanced over to see Eva, who was attempting to clean a terrarium, with a massive lizard latched onto her pants leg. Despite all the things the turtle had seen and fought, this actually freaked him out a little bit.

"What the hell is _that?_ "

His sudden exclamation caught Evangeline's attention, the three and a half foot lizard continuing its assault on the fabric.

"Oh, this is Zeus, my rhino iguana" she explained, however another sharp jerk made the young woman shoot a firm look down at the reptile, "I said stop, damn it!"

The iguana actually seemed to pause, letting go to crane its neck up at her, to Mikey's eyes this was all it did, however to Evangeline, this didn't seem to be the case.

"I know, I promised you a banana, and trust me, _it will come_ as soon as you let me finish cleaning this last tank!"

Mikey's eyebrow rose higher beneath the orange mask, thoroughly bewildered at the fact this young woman was speaking to an animal as if it were speaking her language. This was suddenly weirder than a giant, talking turtle in the sewers.

"Can, you actually understand what its saying?" He finally asked, not moving from his spot on the stairs, the risk of being bit coming to mind.

"No, why?"

"Then how are you talking to it?"

"I just know what he's saying"

Mikey was really confused now as he tried to wrap his head around what exactly she was meaning. Now he had the beginnings of a headache.

"Right" his last letters trailed off before the youngest turtle cleared his throat, "Well, I'd better go meet the bros for patrol. Nice hangin' with you Aiva!"

The name was certainly a surprise but by the time she could turn around to ask about it, he was already gone. There was another firm jerk on her pants.

"Ok! Ok! Lets go!" Evangeline gave in, picking up the large animal to haul up the stairs to the kitchen for his beloved banana.

:):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)

Luckily for Mikey, his other three brothers were waiting for him on the roof of the building after he had slipped out an open window.

"Did you learn anything?" Leonardo asked, taking his normal stance of authority, crossing his arms.

"Dudes, shes a _fucking disney princess!"_ Mikey blurted out in a slightly exaggerated tone.

"Michelangelo, language!" Leo scolded, his sharp eyes narrowing toward his little brother.

"What? Its true! I caught her talking to this giant lizard thing! I'm talking a full on conversation dude!" he rambled, barely regarding his older brother's tone.

"Right, anything _important?_ " Leo asked, crossing his arms expectantly. Lately his patience with his youngest sibling had been running a little thin.

"No, not really. Other than making some deliveries to the post office and a couple others stopping by for animals, she didn't really speak at all" Mikey explained, rubbing the back of his head as the rest of his smile faded.

"Leo, we can't expect her to open up about anything right away, especially after last night. Give it time" Donatello spoke up, placing a hand on Mikey's shoulder. Leonardo had become even more uptight than before over the last couple years, Donnie could only guess is was because of Master Splinter's progressing age.

"We will. In the meantime, Raph, you're up" Leo stated, jetting a thumb toward the house after turning to face the red-masked brother.

"Now hang on! I neva agreed-" Raphael cut himself of when seeing Leo was not in the mood to argue, which drew a low growl from the red masked turtle's chest. Grumbling and cursing, Raphael made his was down to the window Mikey had came out of on the third floor.


	7. Chapter 6

Raphael sighed as he flipped through the channels on the television. Barely here half an hour and the turtle was already bored out of his mind. Finally standing to go to the bathroom, movement caught his eye in one of the open rooms, the source being Evangeline hopping up and down in attempt to reach a bottle from the top shelf of a bookcase she used for supplies. Deciding that more than likely she would still be there when he returned, Raphael found the bathroom and relieved himself first.

"Alright, now what's that yer'tryin' ta reach-" Raph began to ask but paused when standing in the doorway. Somehow, without making the shelf fall, Evangeline had scaled up the front, balancing one foot on a shelf, the other on the edge of a tank just within her reach, and hung onto a corner to the left, successfully grabbing the bottle before making a graceful drop to the floor, perfectly landing on her feet.

Deciding not to stick around for his own mental health, Raph went straight back to the T.V. Around twenty minutes later, he saw her travel to the kitchen and begin shuffling through the cabinets, most likely to fix dinner. This was as good a time if there was one. Raphael strode over to sit at the bar, watching her work. Damn, now what? What was he suppose to ask or say?

"So, uh, what's cookin'?"

Smooth, real smooth Raph.

"Just some goulash, nothing that will take long" Eva replied, her voice having mostly recovered from the damage her throat took, making it softer and much more quiet than before. It would have been difficult to hear her had Raphael not had sensitive ears already.

The turtle nodded, trying to think of what to say or ask next, but for some reason her presence just made everything awkward! It sort of felt like being around Donnie or Leo when they were being quiet or trying to work on something. Movement suddenly caught Raphael's attention as a mouse scampered from behind a spice jar on the counter. Just as Raph was opening his mouth to say something, Evangeline's hand shot out, her fingers flattening down on the rodent's tail with a loud _'SLAP'._ It wasn't really the fact the female had just caught a mouse by the tail that made the turtle freeze, it was the look in her eyes. They starred at the little creature from the very corners of her vision, dark, and reflecting something dangerous, predatory.

"Uh, what are you gonna do with that?" Raphael asked stiffly, watching Evangeline put the mouse in a tupplewear bowl.

"I'll release it outside after dinner. I can't give it to my snakes or it might make them sick" she replied, pouring Raph a bowl before making one herself.

They ate in silence, and after the mouse had been let free, Eva had decided to go to bed. Raphael stuck around for around another hour before heading back to the lair where his brothers were training as usual. They all paused when seeing their brother's return, greeting him with hello's and welcomes, that is, except for Leo.

"Anything?"

Everything Raphael had seen and experienced that night seemed to hit the adult turtle all at once.

"A cat Leo. She's a god damned cat" Raphael stated firmly, pushing past, mumbling something about needing more sleep.

"Seems like Raphael didn't get anywhere either" Donnie commented as Mikey went off to catch some sleep also.

"I'll take the next watch tomorrow. I want to actually find reasons we can trust this girl" Leo stated before walking off toward his own room.

Donatello took his time, all the while thinking about his own approach to the matter should Leo fail.

:):):):):):):):)):):):):):):):):)):):):):):):)

The blue masked turtle, Leonardo, had arrived around the time Evangeline was starting her rounds with feeding her own animals, which was around 2pm. The young woman had begun to adjust to them being in her house since Michelangelo and Raphael basically kept to themselves, however that seemed to be completely different with this Leonardo character. Every room she ventured to, he was _right there!_ Not, thankfully, right on top of her, but the turtle stayed standing against a nearby wall, watching the girl like a hawk. Frankly, Eva didn't like it at all!

His quiet stare was unnerving as the day went on, making her otherwise steady hands shaky and off balance as she tried to feed all of the animals according to her schedule. This resulted in multiple missed strikes, some nips and even harsh bites from the baby snakes on the second floor. This continued until they were forced to travel down to the first floor some hours later.

Evangeline had, had to skip feeding most of the babies on the previous floor due to her hands being so sore from all the bite marks. She'd had _enough._ The young woman strode across the room, Leo in tow of course, until reaching the desired terrarium, opening the top. Reaching fearlessly under a log that was set up like a cave, one of many, Evangeline pulled put the Goliath Bird Eater Tarantula that had been recently dropped into her care due to the previous own becoming too fearful of its size and bite.

"Damn, I forgot the holding container upstairs" Eva acted, cursing aloud before turning to Leo, "Here. Hold her while I go get it"

She gave hum no time to protest as she planted the spider on his crossed arm but before Leo's instincts to swat it off kicked in, her next words stopped him.

"Don't make any sudden moves to harm her, if she feels afraid she may bite and I can't take you to the hospital for anti-venom" Evangeline warned, fighting back a grin when the spider began to crawl up the turtle's arm toward his head, "She likes you"

"That's wonderful, now please take her off" Leo stated nervously, his eyes following the tarantula all the way to his scalp. The leader of the ninja turtles stood frozen in place, completely unnerved.

"Just wait here, I'll be right back with the critter keeper to put her in until I'm done" the young woman reassured the turtle before scurrying upstairs. While there she continued where she was forced to leave off with the young reptiles, also finding time to try and sex some that were ready for a gender check. As much as Eva hated to do it, the female was trying to avoid downstairs until Leo had to leave.

So far, Evangeline wasn't crazy on this Leonardo character's act toward her space and privacy. She hoped that the fourth brother wasn't so uptight and overbearing as this one. Sighing heavily after finally checking the time, Eva grabbed a keeper box from the storage cabinet and went downstairs, finding that Leonardo hadn't so much as twitched from the position she had left him in.

"Sorry, I had to finish checking on the assisted feeds and I couldn't find the critter box" she stated, not technically lying, before reaching to remove the spider ad put her in the box. Eva threw on some raised eyebrows when glancing at the clock on the wall.

"Holy shit, its already 8:50, you'd better get going"

Leo stood there for what seemed like an eternity, his sharp eyes boring into hers, narrowed thin. Evangeline only returned the gaze, both well aware of what the other had tried to do. The victor here, was obvious. The turtle said nothing as he left the female standing with the venomous spider in her small hands.


	8. Chapter 7

"Well, _oh fearless leader_? Did she crumble?" Raphael asked, a smirk crossing his lips after seeing his older brother climb onto the roof. The red masked turtle already knew the answer after seeing Leonardo's perturbed expression, he just wanted the satisfaction of hearing that their 'perfect' leader failed just as they had. As predicted, Leo shot him a silent glare before taking a deep breath of the chilly New York air.

"Donnie, maybe you can have better luck than the rest of us" Leonardo said, completely ignoring Raphael as he turned to his younger brother, looking worn and thoroughly tired.

Donatello stood there in thought, wondering why even his brother Leo couldn't uphold a simple conversation. Then again, their older brother had gotten rather uptight over the past few years so how things had played out between the two might have gone more like an interrogation. Donnie could only imagine how it had went with Raph and Mikey so this may be interesting.

"I can think of a few ways" the purple masked turtle stated thoughtfully, strolling toward the edge of the roof. Once he had disappeared, the remaining brothers proceeded to start patrol around the city, an unsettling silence taking place for what seemed like eternity. Mikey being himself, of course, wasn't liking this.

"I spy, with my little turtle eye, something gray"

"Seriously Mikey?" Raphael huffed as they hopped over a gap in the buildings. Leave it to their kid brother.

"C'mon guys!" Mikey whined as he followed closely behind them.

"Ugh, ok. Is it...a building?" Raph sighed.

"Give the man-turtle a prize!" Mikey chuckled, " Ok, Ok. I spy something, black!"

Suddenly, a scream broke through the air, their attention snapping in the general direction it was coming from.

"Looks like your game is over Mikey" Leonardo stated, leading the three of them over to the edge of an old store building, looking down into the alleyway to see a group of six figures cornering a young girl.

Why did it always have to be an alley?

"Six guys cornering one little girl? Doesn't this seem a bit odd to you Leo?" Raph thought aloud, glancing over to his older brother despite his own want to charge down and start an all out brawl.

"It does. There's only one way to find out" Leo replied, wishing Donatello were there with them. He was usually the one they turned to in this sort of situation. Leading the way, Leonardo dropped from the rooftop, successfully landing on the shoulders of one of the offenders. He crashed to the ground with a loud _'_ _THUD'_ , the young woman letting another scream, taking her chance to flee from the alleyway to leave the three of them to deal with the remaining five.

Of course, Raphael was the first to plunge in, however a fist to one of their faces lead to a puzzling discovery when sparks literally flew through the air. They were robots! Whipping around, Raphael was about to relay this find when Mikey's shrill yelp of pain distracted him, one of the figures having caught the younger brother by surprise when a knife sliced through his upper arm.

"Mikey, you ok?" Leonardo exclaimed, rushing to the aid of his brother who clutched onto his bleeding bicep.

"I'm good. Just didn't see the knife" he reassured, however, just as the two were about to return to the fight, all six mysterious figures had fled from the alley.

"Eh? Hey, get back'ere!" Raphael ccalled, running to the edge where the alley met the street.

"Raph, let them go. Lets get Mikey back to Don for now" Leo stated, watching the hot headed turtle grumble and return to their side.

:):):):):)::):):)::):)):):):):):):):):):)

"I never thought the genetics of animal morphs could be so fascinating" Donatello stated, sitting at the bar watching Evangeline cook dinner, a steaming cup of coffee in his hand.

The two had been carrying on a variety of pleasant conversations for hours since Don had offered to help with some of the more nocturnal species. What had been so hard about starting a friendly conversation? Given, he hadn't been able to dig up anything too personal but it was certainly a start, one better than his brothers apparently.

"Breeding is even better, especially when you have an end goal or want to experiment with a natural process, Surprises are always nice too if-" Eva began, however was interupted by a series of thumps coming from the spare bedroom, both watching the three turtles who were suppose to be on patrol emerge from the doorway.

Mikey's bleeding arm was the first thing Donnie spotted.

"What in the world happened?" the purple clad ninja asked, pulling out his first aid kit to sit on the bar counter as Michelangelo took a seat beside him.

"Some group a'mechanical bozos decided ta chase down some chick in an alley. Guess tha'thoughts a'us kickin' their asses scared'em off" Raphael stated, plopping down on the couch.

"More like it was a setup from the sounds of it. So I'm guessing one of them decided to use Mikey as a cutting board" Donatello stated firmly with a distinct frown lining his lips when finding that the cut was a bit too deep for just a bandage.

"They disappeared right after that, like something spooked them" Leonardo added, watching his brother work from a short distance.

"Or, they got what they came for" A soft voice, nearly forgotten about, spoke up, making the group glance in her direction. Leonardo narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"What would they have wanted?" His voice was low, almost challenging, as if asking for a reason to rope her in with the strange robots. Evangeline didn't seem to be at all phased by the leader's tone as she shrugged, continuing to watch over her cooking dinner.

"I don't know, it was just an educated guess to be honest"

"You may actually be onto something Eva. Robots are more than half the time programmed to follow instructions from a motherboard or elsewhere. I don't think they were allowing all of you to attack them just because you happened by. Something must be amiss" Donatello pointed out, numbing the surrounding area before beginning to lace in stitches. A bowl of nearly boiling water slid its way across the bar to rest by Donnie's arm.

"Ah, thank you Eva"

The female didn't at all seem phased by the surgical procedure going on right beside where she was cooking. Leo's eyes narrowed further in distrust.

"You're pretty calm about this" he commented, crossing his muscled arms over his chest.

"About what? Oh, you mean the stitches" Eva said, turning the flame down on the stove before opening a nearby drawer filled with medical supplies, surgical instruments, needles and other necessities, "Sometimes I don't have the money for a vet"

"You never told me you studied medical procedures" Donnie interjected, trying to lighten the air.

"Mainly having to do with animals. I can't do anything major like surgery or something that should be handled by a professional, but I can hold my own for the most part. I imagine my skills would be nothing compared to yours Don" she replied, leaning on the bar to watch the turtle work.

"On the contrary! My skills lie with my brothers and humans. I don't have the knowledge necessary for treating other creatures unlike yourself. I have to say that I'm impressed at how much you've accomplished with what little you have" Donatello countered, tying the string on his brother's arm.

"I do what I can, yet I don't think I could remove a bullet from someone's arm. _Especially_ when that individual is kicking and screaming" Evangeline challenged, holding her place in their banter.

"Ah, but an egg bound cobra? Risking a nasty, venomous bite from a protective mother snake? Not something I would try in a million years" Donnie argued with a grin.

The other three, Raphael included, could only sit and watch the extended conversation between the two continue. Leonardo in particular was dumbfounded at how easily Don had made Eva talk more than a few words at a time. He would have to ask when they returned to the lair.


	9. Chapter 8

_**AN- Sorry for the long wait! Had a lot going on and a horrible case of writers block! Definitely going to try harder to post more chapters for this story! :)**_

The familiar, yet somehow welcoming musk that occupied the sewer seemed to greet the turtles as they entered its dark depths, venturing deeper until they reached the lair. Worn out, Raphael and Michelangelo immediately departed for their rooms while Donatello wandered into his lab to clean his stitching instruments. Leo was close behind, leaning on the doorway as he watched his brother.

"I never got to ask what you learned"

Donatello didn't bother looking up from his work, searching the cluttered space for replacements to his kit.

"Well, for one, she isn't originally from New York. In fact, she moved here a little more than a year ago from a state somewhere on the lower east coast. She wouldn't really tell me why, just something about family problems" Donnie gave a small smile as he turned to his older sibling, "It turns out her business was just a small project started in her tiny room and somehow grew too large to be contained in one place. Its her main source of income. Truthfully, I find it fascinating"

"Anything else?" Leonardo asked, raising an expectant eyebrow ridge. Had Donnie really gathered this much already while the rest of them struggled for more than two words? Then again, he was the brains of the four.

"Her favorite color is lavender, she likes hydrangea flowers and loves an array of music genres. Eva has no friends, keeps to herself and likes long walks in the park" Donatello laid out the information, turning in his seat to look at Leo, "Honestly my judgment is clear on the fact that I don't see where she could possibly be a threat to us. If she wanted to expose us it would have happened already. By all means, Evangeline could be a very good ally".

Leonardo listened to his brother's words carefully, knowing full well that if Donnie felt this girl was a threat he would have voiced it the same as he did just now. To call her an ally though? The leader would have to think twice over on that one.

"How did you get her to talk so easily?" Leo asked curiously.

"By speaking" his brother replied as a-matter-of-factly, chuckling at the disappoving look Leo shot him, "No, seriously, all I did was start a simple conversation. I didn't treat her like a suspect, unliked what I had heard"

Leonardo's eyebrow ridge gave away his flinch at Don's words. Had that been Eva's opinion or his brother's? Maybe both by the stern look Donatello was giving him now.

"Listen Leo. I know you're worried about our secret getting out, but maybe you should see things a bit more from her perspective"

After studying his elder brother's blank expression, the purple masked turtle crossed his arms.

"You didn't even notice did you? The bite marks on her hands?"

"Bite marks?" their leader questioned with a risen eye ridge. Wasn't that just an occupational hazard?

"Yes. Her hands were _covered_ in them. Eva wouldn't say it but it was a bit too obvious how difficult it was to move her hands because they were so sore. You constantly peering over her shoulder caused a good bit of trouble" Don chastised, leaning back in his chair as his eyes watched the guilt roll over his elder brother's face. He drew a deep sigh.

"Leo, if you want to personally get your proof then stop treating her like a potential enemy. Get to Eva's level, just start a friendly conversation. It may be a bit challenging considering what's happened but she should open up. Hell, she might rethink putting that tarantula on you again"

Leonardo felt his cheeks heat up. Eva had told Don about that? Keeping his words to himself, Leo turned to leave before he could be lectured further on the subject. Perhaps he really was going about this the wrong way. His stroll across the lair to his room was interrupted by Master Splinter coming from his own dwelling.

"Ah, Leonardo. I was wishing to speak with you. How is the girl you rescued fairing?" the elder asked, his hands resting on his cane.

"She's well, and most likely made a full recovery" Leo solemnly replied, although his thoughts wandered back to Donatello's words. As usual, Master Splinter seemed to catch on, one of the rat's eyebrows raising curiously.

"Something troubles you, my son?"

"Everyone seems to trust this girl, they don't see her as a threat to use like I do. I'm beginning to have doubt that my suspicions are whole" Leonardo explained to his father, rubbing the back of his neck. Master Splinter seemed to think this over carefully before giving an answer.

"Tomorrow morning, I will determine where this young woman resides, my son. Where she is, or not, then you may put your mind at ease" the elder stated before patting his son's arm, walking past the turtle on the way to the kitchen for some tea.


	10. Chapter 9

Evangeline had just finished her morning coffee and fed the animals upstairs whenever the sound of a knock resonated from the monitor she kept on the living room table. A curious eyebrow raised. Was she expecting anyone? None of the turtles had shown up yet, and there were no pickups or deliveries for the day.

Padding down the stairs, Eva cautiously opened the door, well aware of the last time she had a surprise visit. The site before her drew a _very_ curious look to the young woman's face. In broad daylight, not only was Leonardo standing in her doorway, but standing beside him was an unusually large sewer rat dressed in robes and leaning heavily on a cane.

"Good morning Eva, um, mind if we come in before we're spotted?" Leo asked after clearing his throat uneasily. Blinking back to reality, Evangeline silently moved to the side and ushered the two inside before shutting then locking the door. They now all stood in the shoe room, Eva trying to get use to the site of the giant, mutant rat that currently resided in her home.

"Eva, this is my father, Master Splinter" the turtle introduced, placing a hand on his father's back. Splinter had insisted that they be civilized, making the two use the front door rather than the unlocked window on the upper story. Evangeline watched the older mutant step forward and offer a paw, which, out of respect, she took without hesitation to shake.

At least this time things were more calm and didn't end in them chasing her into a room, Leo had thought to himself as they followed Eva out of the room into her establishment.

"Are you a collector of sorts?" Master Splinter asked curiously, his eyes trailing along the aquariums, cages and terrariums that were neatly set up in the downstairs area.

"In a way I suppose. I have my own personal animals upstairs, but for the most part I do breed and sell animals. I also take in abandoned, abused or others who are unwanted so I can rehabilitate them and find good homes once they're ready" she replied, starting to climb the stairs toward her apartment. Picking up Master Splinter, Leo followed suit, listening intently.

"My son, Donatello, tells me that you are not from New York" The elder continued, continuing to glance at his surroundings as they ascended.

"Yea, I'm from a little place down South. I wanted to get away from home and expand my business" She explained, although once they were standing in her apartment, the questions seemed to twist now toward her guests, "I hope you don't mind me asking, but how exactly did all this with the mutations happen? Don gave me a vague explanation but I wouldn't mind hearing it from someone who witnessed it from the beginning"

Master Splinter smiled patiently, not minding the welcomed curiosity at all despite the tense expression from his son Leonardo. The three of them sat down in the living room, Evangeline having another cup of coffee and offering water for the guests, slightly regretting never keeping tea. She made a mental note to keep it on hand from now on. All of them settled down into the long story of how Master Splinter and his sons came to be, even going into great detail of their various adventures to other worlds, and the enemies they had bravely battled along the way. The foot clan? Purple Dragons? And here the police had taken all the credit for the drastic decline in their activity!

Evangeline couldn't help but fall entranced with the clear descriptions, imagining just how dangerous their lives had been up until the current stand point. Her sharp eyes briefly traveled to Leo, who had been silent the entire time. Being the eldest, and leader, a lot had fallen on his shoulders, and at a young age. Eva made another mental note to try and be more patient with the blue clad turtle's habits. Upon the finish of the stories, Evangeline gathered their glasses and took them to the sink, Master Splinter's words playing over in her mind.

"I have had a pleasant visit here in your home. I thank you for welcoming my sons and I, and also for hearing our story" he said, giving a light bow of his head.

"Its nothing, really. Thank you for telling me" she replied, mimicking the gesture.

"I do have one request" Master Splinter inquired, Eva's questioning expression urging the elder to continue, "I would like you to soon revisit our home, the lair, to assist in training my sons"

Ok, now _that_ was certainly a strange request.

"Help train them? Are you sure? I'm not a skilled fighter by any means" Eva stated questioningly, leaning back against the sink. The only thing she seemed skilled at was running away.

"No need to worry, as there will be none. Lessons are not always learned through the way of the fist" Splinter assured, drawing an understanding nod from the young girl.

"Alright, I suppose I can do that"

"Wonderful" He chimed, letting Leo carry him out an open window this time, rather than using the door whenever the two left.

Evangeline let the slightest of smiles across her lips after they were out of sight. Perhaps, though unusual, she had found companions to call friends, despite the still wavering line of trust. Time would certainly tell.


	11. Chapter 10

**AN: Apologies for the short chapter but no worries I'll make up for it 030 **

"You wish to hear my thoughts on Miss Evangeline" Splinter inquired as he and Leonardo strolled back to the lair, the silence between them finally faltering.

"Yes, Sensei" the blue clad turtle replied, his attention concentrated fully on what his father might say. Master Splinter, however, fell into silence for several minutes as Leo patiently waited for his answer.

"I cannot be for sure of her life before coming here, but miss Evangeline, I sense, is a very open-minded young woman. Hardships have surely made this so, but she is strong, dependable, and willing to be open to things others may not understand"

Leonardo listened carefully to Master Splinter's words, thinking back to the shifts he and his brothers had been taking.

"But can we _trust_ her? I don't want to put our family in anymore danger Sensei"

Master Splinter drew a breath.

"My son, trust is something that must be learned individually by you, and your brothers, as with her own. I,myself, do not see that she poses any threat, in fact, like Ms. O'Neil, she may prove a worthy ally"

These words were absorbed and thought over by the eldest brother, his three-fingered hand raising to rub the back of his head. Maybe his father was right. Then again, he usually was.

"I do ask, my son, that you give her the benefit of the doubt. I understand your placement of mistrust, however, she herself will not give you what you wish to know if treated as an enemy"

Leo gave into the flinch that was drawn from his father's words. Perhaps he had been a little over protective of his brothers and their secrecy. His blindness had even been the cause of the bites on her sore hands and the ever building mistrust Leonardo had caught glimmering in her piercing eyes. His own orbs adjusted as they entered the lair, taking in the feel and smell of their home.

Mikey was on his game system as usual, while Don and Raph were nowhere to be seen. More than likely one was hold up in his lab while the other was breaking yet another sand bag.

"Hey, you're back! How'd it go?" his youngest brother asked without looking away from the co-op he was currently playing. This seemed to draw curiosity from the other two as they peeked out from their respective spaces. Leo looked to their father as if silently asked permission before receiving a nod of approval.

"Master Splinter things that Eva would be a good ally" Leo stated, watching Mikey suddenly pause his game and turn to lean over the back of the couch.

"Does this mean we can visit her? Like, just normal visit?" the youngest brother asked, making both Donatello and Raphael exchange looks. The purple masked turtle had certainly enjoyed their last conversation, while of course his more tempered brother could care less, crossing his arms firmly over his chest.

"If Evangeline's ok with it, I don't see where it would hurt I guess" Leo replied rubbing the back of his neck. Honestly, Leonardo still would have preferred they find out more about the human female before considering casual visits.

"Sweet! Dude we should get pizza to celebrate" Mikey exclaimed, hopping off the couch and running to get his shell cell.

Leo watched, taking a deep breath, sitting on the couch.

"What's eatin' you fearless leader?" Raphael asked, taking a seat in the chair next to him. Leo glanced over his shoulder, seeing Master Splinter hobble into his room.

"I guess, even though I trust in Master Splinter's word, I'm still not sure about this"

Raphael's eye ridges knitted together, understanding where his brother was coming from. Out of all of them, neither he, nor Leo, were the type to trust anyone so easily. Especially when it came to their family.

"I get ya Leo, I do, but when has Masta' Splinter steered us wrong? Maybe we should lighten up and see where it takes us", an amused grin spread over the younger brother's face, "I mean, if Donnie can carry on a conversation with'er then she can't be as bad as we think"

A light chuckle resonated in in Leo's chest. He would admit Raphael was right on that one. Don wasn't known for having lengthy conversations with anyone other than April and a select few that understood his fields of interest.

"That is true. I'll keep it in mind" Leo stated, standing to place a hand on his brother's shoulder, "Thanks"

With that, Leo strolled toward the dojo, wanting to meditate in order to come to terms with these new developments.


	12. Chapter 11

"Mikey, you want some spaghetti?" Evangeline asked from the kitchen, looking over to the orange masked turtle who was absorbed in a multiplayer on her 360.

"Dudette, no need to ask, Michelangelo is always up for some home cooked goodness!" was his cheerful reply, earning him a small, amused smile from the human female.

It had been around a week or so since she had been informed that Master Splinter had ruled her as a friend to the mutant turtles, and since then Mikey had made it a point to keep Evangeline in good company. Ge visited around every other day during the evening, so she was hardly surprised anymore whenever the youngest brother would be sitting on the couch when she came up from her daily duties.

"Donnie?" she asked, looking to the smartest of the bunch who was sitting at the L-shaped part of the counter fidgeting with an unknown device.

Donatello, almost like Mikey, had visited a few times, including now, that week. He seemed legitimately interested in her work, mainly the science aspect of it. He always made good conversation and truthfully out of all of them, she was the most relaxed around the purple clad turtle.

"Hm? Of course! You wouldn't happen to have chee-" Don was about to ask before Eva seemed to read his mind, pulling out a large bag of mozzarella, a smile growing on his face.

Fixing their plates first, Evangeline couldn't help ut glance toward the window as she sat the food in front of Don who immediately noticed the far away look.

"Something wrong?" Donatello asked, taking a large fork full of the noodles, Mikey taking the seat next to him on a stool, wasting no time digging into his dinner.

"Not really, but I am wondering about your brothers" Eva's words trailed off as she took a seat of her own.

"I wouldn't worry about it. Raph is more interested in his motorcycle and fighting. Leo on the other hand..." Donnie seemed to think for a second before continuing, "...He'll come around eventually"

Evangeline nodded, settling to eat the spaghetti with her two companions. Mikey seeon stretched, patting his stomach happily.

"Mmm, that was some good sketti" he stated, however, forgetting he was on a stool, his heavy body was thrown off balance and landed backward on the floor with a _THUD_ , "AH! TURTLE DOWN! TURTLE DOWN!"

Evangeline chuckled, moving off to put a lid on the food while Donatello rolled his eyes.

"Here, since Leo, Raph and Master Splinter aren't here, take the rest so they can finish it off"

"Are you sure?" Don asked, continuing to ignore Michelangelo as he squirmed around, trying to get up.

"Uh..guys..little help?"

"Of course. It'll only go bad if I don't finish it in time" She insisted, although after thinking on it a moment, something did come to mind, "Speaking of the others. If you all aren't busy, would you mind if I visited the lair tomorrow night?"

"I don't see why not, thought if you don't mind me asking, why? Especially after last time" Donnie asked, raising a curious eyebrow ridge.

"Eva? Don? Anybody gonna help a turtle out here?"

"Master Splinter asked if I would help you guys with your training when he was here" She replied, only to receive an even more curious look.

"Guuuuyyyysssss"

"No offense Eva, but how would _you_ help with our training?" Don asked, placing a foot on Mikey's plastron to stop him from rocking around so much.

"That's what I was wondering" was her reply as the female placed the pot on the counter.

"One of us will be by sometime tomorrow then to pick you up" Donnie stated, reaching down to finally take his younger brother's hand and help the turtle up. Evangeline gave an amused smile, nodding while watching the two of them leave through the unlocked window.

O3O3O3O3O O3O3O3O3O O3O3O3O3O3O

The next day went by relatively smooth with Evangeline taking care of orders, cleaning out cages and terrariums, all before closing up shop to be able to get ready for her pick up. It was still cold outside but a jacket wouldn't be needed for long. Figuring on this, Eva pulled on a comfortable black t-shirt that conformed to her waist with, "Snakes Are Friends, Not Fiends" on the front, along with a derpy looking ball python. Comfortable jeans and sneakers made up the rest of the outfit.

Walking into her living room, Eva was nearly startled when seeing the eldest brother leaning patiently against the wall right beside the door of the room that held the window they always came through. Evangeline immediately felt herself tense up under his gaze, remembering the last time he had watched her this close.

"Are you ready?" he asked, standing from the wall. She nodded, although was about to walk toward the door leading to the stairs whenever Leo, instead, stepped back into the room he had originally came from.

"We're...going through the window?" the question popped out before she could stop it.

"It's the fastest way back to the lair" Leo replied, lifting the window before hopping out to climb up to the roof. Evangeline hurried to look out into the darkness, then looked down and realized just how high up they really were.

"Wait..I can't.." she protested softly, wondering how he expected her to climb a vertical building like a monkey. Admittedly, she wasn't weak, but climbing certainly wasn't her strong suit. Suddenly, Leo's face swung down, slightly startling the young woman as the terrapin now hung upside down on the other side of the window, his three-fingered hands reaching out in indication.

Hesitantly, Evangeline let her small hands take hold of his, allowing Leonardo to pull her through the window until she was hanging three stories above the ground. Terrifying! This was absolutely _terrifying!_

"You're going to have to trust me" Leo stated as he slowly began swinging Eva back and forth. What choice did she really have at this point? She barely had a chance to nod when suddenly her body was flung high in the air, tumbling like a rag doll.

Evangeline gave a single screech of horror, curling up, bracing herself in the fall, which was abruptly halted by a pair of muscled, green arms that now cradled the much smaller female body. Leonardo could swear he could hear her heart pounding within her chest as Eva held her eyes squeezed shut. Slowly, he began making his way across the rooftops toward the nearest manhole.

Evangeline had just started to relax whenever there was a sudden rush of upward air, her stomach rolling as Leo jumped from a high roof toward, descending toward the ground. Scared too death, she clutched onto the turtle's plastron, burying her face into his shoulder. Was he enjoying this? She hoped not!

After setting the female to her feet, and making sure her shaking legs didn't give out, it didn't take long for them to leap into the darkness of the sewers. The only light was the one Leo used to guide their way. For the most part the travel was relatively quiet, however tense the silence was.

"What made you want to take Master Splinter up on his request to help us with training" Leonardo finally spoke up, only sparing a glance toward his charge.

"Mikey and Don have been visiting and its made me think of maybe getting to know everyone a little better" Eva replied, stuffing her hands in the pockets of her jacket, "I know my place isn't exactly your cup of tea, or Raphael's, so I thought I would give the lair a try. I don't know how I could possibly contribute to your training but at least its something.."

Evangeline didn't need a flashlight to know what kind of look the blue wearing turtle might be giving her.

"You don't believe me, do you?" she sighed, running a hand through her short hair, nose scrunching slightly at the scent of the sewer surrounding them.

"Its not that I don't believe you. I'm just trying to figure out what brought the sudden change of heart" Leo stated, his larger frame pausing its stride to be able to look down at the smaller female. His gaze was met fearlessly by her own, the darkness serving as the only filter between their stares.

"After Master Splinter told me your story, it left me thinking how few people in this world there are that would have the privilege of knowing that you guys exist and not report you to the nearest government facility," Eva replied, keeping the eldest brother's gaze. Her words seemed to catch a bit of interest with him.

Privilege?

"And you're not one of those people?"

"If you mean one that will turn you in, no. No I'm not" Evangeline's voice carried soft and even through the sewer air, "Whether you believe me or not, I've come to enjoy your brothers' company in my home. You guys are probably the most decent people I've ever met"

"Define ' _people'_ " Leo chuckled, raising an eye ridge toward the female before him with amusement. She rolled her eyes, the tiniest of smiled quirking the edges of her lips.

"You know what I mean" Evangeline retorted, continuing to walk beside the turtle until they came to a familiar entrance way that opened up into a large, lit area that appeared to be part of an abandoned train station. Squinting, it took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the light. It was just as she remembered, well, whatever brief glance that had been managed before.

"Look who decided to actually pay us a visit for once" Raphael stated gruffly as he strolled across the lair toward the pair.

"Eva's here?" Mikey's voice spoke up from the couch before the youngest brother peeked over the back, a wide smile across his face, "Eva's here!"

His voice resonated throughout the entire lair as the turtle flipped over the sofa and ran toward the guest.

"Good to see you made it" Donatello stated from the entrance to his lab, wiping his hands off while approaching. Seeing them together like this reminded Evangeline how small she really was compared to the four mutants.

To be honest Michelangelo wasn't much taller than she was, but then again he was definitely the shortest of the brothers. Raphael and Leonardo were nearly the same height but the elder of the two had the bulkier brother by an inch or so. Donatello, even with being the next to youngest, had all of them by several inches, being anywhere between 6'7 or 6'8.

In the clear light, other differences between them all were made even more apparent than what Evangeline had originally noticed. Admittedly, despite the obvious mutations, all of them were really not ugly in the slightest.

"Ah, miss Evangeline, its nice of you to join us" Master Splinter's voice came from behind the boys, two of them stepping aside for the large rate to come forward.

"Thank you for having me Sensei" she replied with a polite bow of her head.

"Would you mind if we get started?" he asked, gesturing a hand for her to follow, turning to walk across the lair.

"Of course" she replied, her eyes wandering about the place her companions called home.

"Master Splinter, what will Evangeline be helping us with in our training?" Leonardo asked, falling into step with his father as they entered the dojo.

"You will soon see" the elder replied, the four of them spreading out to begin their warm ups and regular exercises, the rat turning to their guest, "Prepare as you see fit"

Evangeline nodded, watching him hobble on his cane over to take a seat on a cushion and begin sipping a cup of tea. A bit self conscious, Eva shed her jacket and slowly began doing normal stretches, lunges and warm-ups to loosen up her muscles. There was no way of knowing what to expect from all this. It was several minutes later before they were finished and standing before Master Splinter, who now busied himself with drawing a broad circle around the group.

"So, uh, do you know some sort of ancient fighting skill or somethin' that requires us bein' in a giant circle?" Raph asked, his arms crossed as they all watched their father work.

"Um...no. Actually I don't really know anything when it comes to fighting" she admitted, drawing three sets of raised eyebrows toward herself.

"Then what are ya suppose to be helpin' with if ya can't fight?" Raphael asked, taken aback.

"My sons, you know that there are times when you must be on a defensive level, however, there will come a time when the enemy may be more than possible to handle, and may persist even in retreat. There will be no way of winning, and your lives will be in peril, will little to no hope of escape" Master Splinter stated, setting the chalk down before once again taking his seat on the cushion.

"Um..care to clear some of that up Sensei?" Michelangelo requested, rubbing the back of his head. Even Donatello was having trouble seeing where Evangeline tied into this.

"The night miss Evangeline came here, not one of you were able to halt her escape, even when all sides were blocked. Try as you had, she slipped away and made it back to her home without being caught. She outran, and out skilled four trained ninja with no training, and no known master" their Sensei's words made all of them flinch, not from his tone, but simply from the fact that they had been duped by someone, even after so many years of training. Their pride was what took the biggest blow.

"Not to interrupt, but how will I be helping them? Like you said, I have no training of any kind. No Master-" Evangeline began, however stopped when Splinter rose a hand in pause.

"You will first give a controlled example" he stated, indicating toward the large circle, "None of you may leave the circle, and there will be no battle. My sons, you must capture miss Evangeline in the time of two minutes"

Suddenly aware of how close the four of them were, Evangeline inched more distance between them and herself while they held firm attention to their father.

"Begin"


	13. Chapter 12

"Awe this should be easy" Mikey stated as the four of them turned toward their target. Evangeline watched their approach, her muscles tensed and thoroughly on guard, eyes scanning each of them. Raphael was the first to lunge, going for a full on tackle with his body weight. Eva dove to the side, giving into a squatting position while bracing on her fingertips. Mikey was next, grabbing blindly and giving her just enough room to frog hop to the side, that is, until a distinct, sudden chill ran up her back. Without hesitation or any thought, she launched into a full run from the squat, hardly hearing the curses of Leo who had tried to sneak up behind her. Suddenly, Donatello flipped into her path.

"Don, dont-!" Raphael began to yell, remembering the last time he himself had attempted the same trick. Unfortunately, once again, the smaller female's reaction was quicker as she shifted her weight and made a sudden ninety-degree turn without so much as slipping, leaving Donatello chasing on her heels.

"Guys, pin her in!" Leonardo called as they started to slowly circle around her, driving Evangeline into the middle. Slowly, they began making the circle smaller, driving their prey to the center of the huddle. Eva waited, her instincts on overload, pulsing with the sense of danger, watching the three brothers until, without warning, they all dived at once in attempt to overwhelm their target.

"I got'er! I got'er!" Michelangelo announced, pulling up his prize.

"Actually, Mikey, you have me" Donatello commented, arms crossed as his younger brother released his foot with a sheepish smile.

"Seems none of us got her" Leonardo stated, glancing around to see that Eva was, in fact, no where to be found.

"Wait...doesn't that mean we win? There's nowhere to hide, so she had to'ave left the circle" Raphael said, looking to their sensei who merely sipped peacefully on his tea.

"Well, I don't see her anywhere" Don muttered, scratching the back of his head, "And our two minutes are nearly up"

"Dudette! Eva! Come out, come out!" Mikey called, turning in a circle.

"Mikey! Don't move!" Raph exclaimed, the other two starring wide-eyed at their sibling, not knowing whether to act or laugh.

"What? Why?" the youngest cried, trying to look over his shoulder. Only then did the orange masked turtle see the small fingers that held onto the edges of his carapace.

"WAHHHH! GET'ER OFF! GET'ER OFF! GET'ER OFF!"

The other three tried moving in to attempt to grab the young woman that had attached herself to the back of their brother's shell like a bug.

"Mikey, would you hold still!" Donnie ordered, trying to catch the flailing, squealing turtle. Once again the three tried to surround and charge in, however, unfortunately, the female managed to clamor up onto the top of Michelangelo's shell, using it to push off in a vast leap across the circle, landing just at its edge.

"Enough" Master Splinter's words caused the five of them to freeze on the spot, "Your time, is up"

The four brothers bowed before seating themselves on the chilly floor. Master Splinter motioned to Evangeline, who came to sit beside the cushion, resting her elbows on her knees.

"You may not have had a master, but that does no mean you were not taught" Splinter stated, placing a hand on her shoulder, "Where did you live before coming to New York?"

"I use to live in the backwoods of the country. I didn't have any siblings, and my parents weren't around much so I spent most of my time in the forest. It was like a second home" Evangeline explained, weary of going into too much detail on her life. The turtles' expressions were blank as they gazed toward her, leaving nothing to be told of their reactions.

"You learned from watching the creatures around you. To move on sheer instinct, with little thought of anything but survival" Master Splinter said, seeming to not need much else to put the pieces together.

"So, does that mean she'll be teaching us?" Mikey asked, the rest of his brothers staring intently, as if silently asking the same question.

"No, but I'm sure Miss Evangeline wouldn't mind sharing some advice should she think it be needed" their elder replied, slowly standing from his seat to hobble out of the room.

"Um..Was that it?" Eva muttered without thinking, standing from her seat.

"Pretty much. Master Splinter trusts us enough to practice on our own these days" Donnie replied, moving off to spar with his younger brother.

"Aye, Eva" Raph called, stretching and rolling his shoulders, "Come on. You and me. Let's see what you got"

Evangeline instantly felt a trickle of dread drip down her spine. He wanted them to spar? To fight?

"No thanks Raph. I don't fight"

The red masked turtle seemed to be taken aback.

"Hey, I know yer not trained or nothin' but that don't mean ya can't vent a little-"

"No. I really don't fight. _At all._ I would rather, honestly, talk my way out of it or..." Eva felt the saliva in her throat block her way of speaking for a moment before being able to swallow it down, "….run away"

"So ya really do run like a coward?" the larger turtle began taking several steps in her direction, "No fight at all? Even when there's nobody there to bail ya out?"

He was getting too close. Much closer than Eva felt comfortable with. She could smell the Axe body wash that was mixed into the sweat with a slight hint of sewer musk. Her hand came up, fingertips pressing against the smooth plastron of his abdomen.

"Raphael, that's close enough" Evangeline stated firmly, looking up at him, a deep warning on her face.

A cocky smirk played across the turtle's lips, seeing exactly what he wanted. Her eyes had the same sharp glint, that predatory stare Raph had saw the night she caught the mouse by the tail.

"So we're using full names now, huh?" he said, taking another step, pushing against her fingers, "If ya want me ta move, make me"

What was his problem? Was the red turtle always like this? Eva had only met him once and really hadn't thought the turtle was as hot blooded as he was right now. Honestly, it was getting on her nerves but she refused to let her temper get the best of her. Silently, the young female moved around the large reptile, or at least tried to.

"Raph, let me through" she stated, continuing to try and push past the mutant.

"Like I said, make me"

"Raph" Leo said from his stand point of watching Donatello and Michelangelo, who also paused their sparring match, "Leave her alone. She said she doesn't want to fight"

"Come on. Even April isn't afraid to sling a few punches when she's pushed enough" Raphael stated, not taking his eyes off of Eva, "I wanna see what she's got"

"Nothing. I've got nothing. Now please stop" Evangeline pleaded, trying yet again to move around the bulky mutant, but to no avail.

"You ain't always gonna be able ta be a coward sweetheart" Raph stated, crossing his arms, "Startin' now"

Eva didn't say anything, thoroughly fed up with the stubborn male and his antics by this point. She could feel her blood starting to burn with irritation, shoving her way past the turtle. A firm, three-fingered hand caught her upper arm, bringing the much smaller female to a halt.

"Raph. Enough" Leo ordered, taking steps toward the two, aiming to break it up.

"Let go" Eva muttered, pulling, refusing to look back at her captor, lips set in a firm, straight line.

"Make me, sweetheart" Raphael said, his voice lowered, the grin on his face never changing. He was dead set on pushing her too the edge. Oh, he had no idea just how far he had actually come.

"Raphael, let her go" Leonardo's voice raised in warning.

"Not until she-" The red masked male started to reply to his brother, when suddenly Evangeline whirled around and planted a sharp, hard jab with the tips of her fingers to the tender joint in his shoulder. The turtle grunted, loosening his hold on her arm, utterly surprised by the sudden numbing, yet stinging pain.

"S-son of a bitch!" Raph cursed, a deep growl resonating within the pit of his chest. His hand shot out in attempt for another grab on her arm, anger spiking, however, it was in vain as Eva slipped through his grasp. The small female used her hand, fueled by her own blind rage, to thrust the edge of her palm under Raphael's chin, knocking the large mutant back.

She stood there for a moment as reality seemed to come crashing back like a collapsing wall of bricks and stones. Evangeline looked to Leo who seemed to be just as shocked as the rest of them while Donnie knelled by his dazed brother.

"I-I'm..." Evan began, but the words couldn't seem to form, sticking like sap to her throat, "I...have to go"

Before any of the brothers could stop her, Evangeline had already ran from the dojo, bolting back into the sewers.

"What the _hell_ is wrong with you Raph?" Leo nearly snapped as he watched his hot headed brother rub the back of his head.

"Look, I'm sorry Leo. I thought-" Raphael began to explain until his older sibling cut him off.

"-Don't apologize to me when I'm not the one who found personal enjoyment pushing them over the edge"

The bulkier sibling lowered his eyes, knowing full well Leo was right. How he hated it.

"Should...one of us go after her?" Michelangelo spoke up softly, his gaze focused worriedly on the entrance of the dojo as if silently hoping Eva would walk back in. Donatello Placed a hand on Mikey's shoulder in reassurance.

"Honestly, as much as I want to make sure Eva's OK too, I think we should give her some time to cool down" the purple masked turtle stated, his gaze traveling to Raphael who still sat looking at the floor.

"I'll apologize to'er in the mornin'" he muttered, slowly standing before lumbering off to his room to nurse his sore shoulder and pride.

"Donnie.." Leo uttered in a low, inquisitive tone that the next to youngest know all too well.

"You think she's hiding something, don't you?"

"She said it herself that by no means is she a skilled fighter, and hardly knows anything when it comes to it. I know Raph's attitude can cloud his judgment but that doesn't mean he's easy to knock down. Eva _knew_ where to hit him Don" Leonardo said firmly, crossing his arms over the hard plastron of his chest, eyes gazing intently at his brother.

"It's kinda obvious Eva's got stuff to hide bro, but dudette's been super nice to us Leo. Who cares about a couple secrets? If she tells us, it'll happen, if not, oh well" Mikey put in, shrugging his shoulders. Both older siblings stared at their younger brother, then looked to one another.

"Admittedly, I have to say, for once, Mikey's right", Donnie said with his own shrug, however it turned to a sigh at the face Leo was giving him, "Look, if this is bothering you that bad, then ask her. _Nicely."_

Leo gave into the small flinch with his eyebrow ridge, knowing full well it would be a while before Donatello would stop holding what happened over his head. Watching his brother's leave the dojo, Leonardo soon wandered to his own threshold where he shed the equipment and katana blades that weighed on his body. The comfort of the bed gave his tired muscled some relief as the turtle lay carefully on his side and let sleep slowly take hold.


	14. Chapter 13

Evangeline sighed heavily, sitting at the kitchen counter with her small hand petting over Zeus' scaled head. The iguana lay contently on the marble, his eyes half lidded and thoroughly relaxed. She felt terrible for the night before, the scenario replaying over and over again in her head like a broken record. Eva remembered Raph pushing her to fight, how she felt the ever building anger welling up and burning in her veins for the first time in a couple years. Then nothing. At least, until seeing Raphael sitting on the floor with his brothers starring at her in shock. Their faces, those expressions, they were embedded within her brain along with the growing guilt. She'd ran. Raphael was right. She really was nothing but a coward. It was all she had ever been.

The sound of shuffling coming from the spare room drew her eyes from Zeus, who's own reptilian orbs came open. Evangeline felt her heart sink into the pit of her stomach upon seeing two of the four turtles standing in the spare room doorway.

"Leo...Raph..." Eva murmured softly, honestly a bit taken aback, standing from her seat, "I...I'm…"

"No..." Raphael cut in, stepping forward while rubbing the back of his neck and averting his gaze to the carpet, "I'm sorry Eva. I.. I was a real jerk last night"

Evangeline stared at the brothers, then looked to Leonardo, although couldn't get anything from his expression as the elder sibling stood with his muscled arms crossed firmly over his chest.

"Its alright Raph. I should control my temper a bit better" Evangeline replied, her eyes traveling to the floor, her hand coming up to rest on Zeus' back. The reptile still only lay there, watchful eyes staying on the turtles.

"Nah, I deserved it" Raphael reassured, a small smile crossing his expression.

"I have a question though, if you don't mind me asking" Leo now spoke up, his gaze staying firmly on Eva. He tried to watch his tone, not wanting to come off as he did before, keeping Don's words in mine.

"I guess.." Evangeline's reply trailed off, her gut suddenly twisting with anticipation. Had it been something she had done? Said? Her body became rigid and tense as it prepared for anything the turtle might throw at her.

"You said you weren't skilled in fighting, that you knew next to nothing about it. When you lost your temper on Raph, you not only hit a weak point, but used a pretty well aimed palm strike" Leonardo's gaze bore into Evangeline's, noticing a distinct ripple on her brow, "Why did you lie?"

That guilt that had originally been leaving suddenly exploded in her gut with a harsh flinch. Would he believe her?

"I didn't lie..." she murmured in a tone that was nearly inaudible, "I didn't lie, because I don't remember"

Both Leo and Raphael exchanged bewildered glances.

"Ya don't remember?" Raph asked, an eye rideg raising.

"No, I don't. I remember getting angry with you, then nothing. Next thing I knew you were sitting on the ground" she replied, letting herself sit back on the stool, the scales on Zeus' head suddenly being the most interesting thing in the world.

"You're telling me, you blacked out" Leonardo stated, an eyebrow ridge raising curiously at the young woman. She nodded.

"It happened a few times when I was younger. Someone would make me mad, then before I knew it I had landed them with bruises, black eyes and a couple even in the hospital" Eva swallowed, rubbing under her iguana's chin, "It scared me. It scared me to think that for those moments, I wasn't myself and that I had absolutely no conscious control over my actions"

"So, what? You stopped fighting all together?" Raphael asked, leaning back against the wall. Once again, Eva nodded her head.

"Yeah. I did everything I could to avoid it. I'd run, dodge, hide, anything it took"

Leo stood with his brother for a moment, thinking over what Eva had just told the two of them. Never in the short time they had known the human female, had either of them gotten a glimpse of something so personal. More than likely Donnie and Mikey didn't even know about this. If anything this sort of reminded him of Raphael, the red masked turtle having no choice but to think the same as much as he hated to admit it.

"You don't believe me, do you?" Eva's voice snapped the two of them from their thoughts.

"No, actually it sounds similar to Raphael" Leo spoke first, his brother opting to stay quiet on the matter.

"It does?" Evangeline questioned, her eyebrows knitting together. The young woman looked at the younger of the two for a moment. Were they that similar?

"In a way, though rather than always wanting to fight, you tried avoiding it, stowing it away" the blue masked turtle explained, "Its not bad, but its not really good either considering last night"

"I really am sorry about that"

"It's not your fault Eva. If you black out, or use to black out that easily, its obviously not something you can easily control" Leo stated with a reassuring expression, "In fact, I could help if you wanted"

Evangeline's face rose to look at the turtle. Help her?

"How? How can you help me with something I can't control?" She asked, genuinely curious.

"I can't help you control the actual black outs, but I _can_ try and help with preventing them from happening in the first place" Leonardo explained, watching Eva's expression shift to something that looked almost hopeful.

"You could do that?" She asked, though let her gaze lower once again, "I don't want to cause any trouble. I know you have to look after your family"

Raphael seemed to come to a sudden realization at this point in listening to their conversation. If Leo was busy helping Eva with her control thing, he's be too distracted to ride their asses every second of the day. The red clad turtle gave a smile, reaching out to place a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Shouldn't be any trouble at all, in fact, don't even worry about it. We've done fine before without Leo around for a little while" he stated, earning a raised eye ridge from Leonardo.

"You really wouldn't mind?" Eva asked, ignoring the odd look on Raphael's face, starring intently toward Leo. Would he really be able to help her with preventing the blackouts? Or at least be willing to?

"If you're willing to learn, then I can try" Leo replied, his arms releasing to hang at his sides.

"And I'll do my best to be a good student" Evangeline said, the smallest smile crossing her lips, "When should we start?"

"I can stop by tomorrow if you'd like"

"That sounds fine"

"Then I'll be by sometime tomorrow evening" Leo nodded, turning to go back into the spare room. Raphael did the same, although not without shooting Eva a thumbs up with a wide grin. One of her eyebrows quirked at this. What had she done to earn something like that?

0303030303030 030303030303030 03030303030303030

Evangeline wiped the sweat from her brow after setting the vivarium in place. Only one more to go. Looking over at the heavy glass enclosure that had to be placed on the top shelf. Damn was she tired! Slowly the young woman stooped to pick up the enclosure, hefting it up to lift over her head.

Her arms quickly started to quiver as she forced them to comply with pushing the item onto the top shelf. Shifting onto her tip toes, Eva suddenly began to feel herself lose just enough balance for the vivarium's weight to come forward on her tired, wobbly fingers. Evangeline felt her gut plummet to the floor. If this thing landed on her it could do some serious damage!

In that instant the weight was unexpectedly relieved from her fingers, the female only now seeing the larger set of three-fingered hands easily sliding the enclosure into place. Eva froze to the spot, feeling the smooth, solid plastron against her back, and the scent of incense, and a familiar musk invading her nose. When had he gotten there?

"Ah...thanks" she said quietly, turning whenever the mutant had moved from behind her.

"No problem, but you could have gotten hurt. You should be more careful" Leonardo stated, a worried expression covering his features. Evangeline felt something within her gut twist.

"I know, but I've never really had any help before and managed just fine"

"Maybe, but now you could always ask us for help" Leonardo pointed out, beginning to follow Eva up that stairs of the house. Once again, something twisted within her gut. They were actually willing to help her?

"I'll keep that in mind" she replied, opening the door to her apartment. The two entered, Leo shutting the door behind them.

"So what are we going to be doing?" Eva asked, watching Leonardo take a seat on the floor of the living room. He then motioned for her to do the same in front of him. Hesitantly, she complied.

"Have you ever meditated?" Leo asked, watching her closely.

"No"

"Do you know where your anger stems? Why you tend to black out?"

"Now that I think of it, no"

Leonardo nodded in understanding. Considering her personality, teaching her to meditate would possibly be easier than he thought. Much more than Michelangelo or Raphael at least.

"Keep your back straight and relax your arms, your muscles and close your eyes" Leo instructed, doing so when Eva had done as she was told, "Now, calm your breathing. Let it drown out any distractions. Concentrate on it"

Evangeline did this, letting her breathing slow, her heartbeat filling her ears.

"Good, now, keep this up"

She did, in fact, feel much calmer than before. There was still this sense of unease, but never the less, Eva had to admit that she felt a little better. She ignored the familiar twitch of her muscles urging her body to move in some way. It was almost like going to sleep, but still staying fully aware and alert at the same time.

Leonardo himself felt more at peace sitting in the young woman's living room. Unlike in the lair, here it was utterly silent minus the faint sounds of running water from the aquariums. There were no constant voices yelling or the pungent smell of the sewer. Eva's apartment always smelled of fresh water, lavender and every so often there would be the faint scent of sandalwood or vanilla.

After a short while, however, Leo felt something brush by his hand. Eyebrow ridges knitting together, the mutant tried to ignore this and continue his meditation. Unfortunately, moments later, there was the distinct feel of claws, and a weight pulling itself into his lap. He couldn't take it any longer. Opening his eyes, the turtle looked down and was surprised to see that Zeus, Eva's large iguana, had made himself perfectly comfortable within Leonardo's lap.

A smile couldn't resist spreading on his lips as hesitantly the blue wearing turtle rubbed a finger under the reptile's chin. Zeus' eyes closed, leaning into the affections, thoroughly enjoying himself. Glancing up, Leo noticed Eva was still deep in meditation. He used this opportunity to study her delicately placed features, high set cheek bones, and even the small, yet, plump lips. He noticed her short, pixie hair was growing out and almost completely framed her face now. Her shoulders were small, and the arms that they gently sloped into, though muscled, hardly came close to the size of his own. It was amazing how someone so strongly set, could look so tiny in such a state as this. Leonardo had hardly realized just how great the size difference between Evangeline and the four of them was.

Admittedly, Eva, in human standard, was actually quite an attractive young woman. Leonardo blinked. Where had that thought come from?

"Can I ask why you're starring at me?" Her voice pulled the mutant from his thoughts, Eva's eyes looking up at him. At this close of a distance, he could clearly see the mixture of green and brown in her hazel eyes which were lined with long, thick lashes.

"Just seeing how long it would take before you lost concentration" Leonardo fibbed, running his hand down Zeus' back.

"How did I do?" She asked, reaching over to boop her iguana's nose.

"Not bad for your first attempt. Do you feel any difference?"

"Actually, I do feel somewhat lighter"

"That's good. Now that you know the basic run around, you can practice whenever you want" Leo stated, moving Zeus from his lap to stand, offering a polite hand to Eva. Gingerly, she took it, letting the large turtle pull her effortlessly to her feet.

"Would you like to stay for dinner? Its the least I can do" Evangeline offered, fixing her clothing. Leo's eyebrow ridges rose under the mask. She was actually asking him to stay?

"Are you sure?"

"Of course! You can relax on the couch until I'm done" She reassured, waving a hand toward the sofa, "You took time out of your day to help me, its literally the least I can do"

Leonardo gave a friendly smile, moving to do as Eva wanted, planting himself on the couch and turning on the television. Evangeline wandered into the kitchen, sneaking a glance back at the turtle man sitting in her living room. Maybe her original assumption of Leo had been wrong after all.


	15. Chapter 14

"So how goes the lessons fearless" Raphael asked, the tone of his voice suggestive as the four of them stood on a rooftop. Leo gave his brother a questioning eye ridge.

"Just fine. Much easier than you or Mikey"

"Aye! I meditate perfectly" Michelangelo piped up, his arms crossed with a thoroughly insulted look on his face. Donatello let an amused chuckle.

"Yea, until you get hungry or bored"

Leo and Raph grinned at the youngest of the four as he pouted, grumbling to himself. Donnie looked to their leader with his own curiosity.

"So they're going well? Nothing concerning?"

Leo, upon hearing the question, suddenly seemed thoughtful, looking out onto the restless streets of New York City. Don always had a knack for hitting the nail on the head.

"I wouldn't say concerning really, but lately we've started trying to find a reason for her blackouts through the meditation" he said, thinking back on the lesson they had had just the night before. Leo had been meeting with Evangeline every two nights or so to keep a steady pace on their new schedule. Honestly, she was progressing well, minus one little detail.

"That's something, though you sound like you've hit a bump somewhere" Donnie stated, as usual being able to pick up on his brother's mannerisms, something Leo could always count on.

"When I ask her to concentrate and focus on why, for the past three times I've been there, Eva always says identical things" Leonardo strode to the middle of the rooftop, wanting to keep moving, "She says there are always visions of animals, ones being hunted, fighting or cornered"

Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello all exchanged bewildered glances before following their brother's lead when he restarted their run across the city rooftops on their patrol.

"So, she really is a Disney Princess?" Mikey inquired, almost sounding serious. How was he suppose to figure out this meditation stuff? Something like that really wasn't his strong point, since it was more Leonardo or Donnie's thing.

"Sounds like she's got too many animals ta me" Raphael commented, leaping across another gap.

"Don?" Leo asked, having noticed the thoughtful look on his brother's face.

"Meditation, if she's doing as well as you say, should have brought something of a solution. Maybe Master Splinter would know" the purple masked turtle said.

Leonardo thought for a moment. Most likely their father would be able to help but considering the last couple of times Eva had been down into the lair, the turtle was a bit hesitant to give it another attempt.

"Leo..." Raphael's voice caught the elder brother's attention, drawing them to a stop after noticing his gaze that was directed toward the shadows of a water tower. They were barely visible, the only hint being the reflection of something metallic from the moonlight.

"Whoever you are, reveal yourself!" Leonardo called, drawing his katana his, brothers whipping out their own weapons. Anxiously, they watched the shadows of the tower as they slowly emerged.

"Well, those guys look familair" Mikey said, spinning his nunchucks as the metal robots that had attacked them before darted from the cover of the shadows into an immediate assault on the brothers.

"Come lookin' for another ass kickin' I bet!" Raphael laughed, running one through with his sai.

"Guys, try to disable at least one without completely destroying it!" Donatello called, dropping into a rapid spin, whipping his bow staff around to bash out their legs, then proceeding to clip wires within the base of the cranium-like piece while the robots were wriggling on the concrete.

"Easier said than done" Leonardo said in reply while beheading another opponent then slicing through two more.

"Especially when you're not all techy and junk" Mikey added, back flipping away from his current attackers. Donatello rolled his eyes as he and Rpahael quickly jumped to aid their younger brother, dismantling the machines in no time.

"I think that was the last one" Donatello said, stooping down to pick up a piece that had been severed from its body.

"Ah, Donnie" Mikey's voice brother the attention of the other four, who followed their youngest sibling's indicating finger only to see a figure escaping over the rooftops.

"Damn it! Where did that one come from?" Raphael exclaimed, going to take after the silhouette, however, Leo quickly reached out a hand to catch the hot headed turtle's shoulder, "What the hell Leo?"

"We've already defeated them, there's no need to go chasing one with a better head start" The eldest commented, "Let's help Don get all of this back to the lair"

Begrudgingly, Raphael complied with one last glance at where the robot had escaped before assisting with the mess they had made. It took a good hour or so for them to haul the scrapped pieces back to their home and lay them out on Donatello's lab table.

"My sons, you have returned early" Master Splinter said, hobbling his way into the living area from the dojo. Once catching sight of the machines, a raised bushy eyebrow was all Leonardo needed to know what his father was silently questioning.

"They attacked us while we were patrolling. Don wanted to see if there was anything that would tell us where they came from" the oldest explained, following his sensei to sit on the sofa.

"Very well" Splinter nodded, resting himself back into the cushions, "How is miss Evangeline fairing with your lessons?"

"She's doing well, but recently we've hit a stump with finding the reason behind her blackouts" Leo explained, proceeding to tell his father what he had originally told his brothers. The elder rubbed his chin while listening to his son's words, brows knitting together.

"Interesting..." he thought aloud, "Perhaps..-"

"Leo! You might wanna take a look at this" Raphael called, the two resting on the couch immediately rising to venture into the laboratory.

"What did you find?" Leo asked, standing next to the messy table where his brother was using various tools and wearing a pair of strange goggles to dissect into one of the heads that had now been thoroughly pulled apart.

"This" Don stated, removing what seemed to be a type of tiny computer chip, turning it over in the forceps, "It turns out their optical sensors were very much active during our fight, and this chip, acted as a transmitter for any feed that was sent to a main computer"

"Ok, so what does that mean?" Mikey asked, squinting down at the tiny piece of technology.

"It means someone was watching us" Leo answered firmly, his arms crossing over his plastron.

"I knew I shoulda went after the one we saw gettin' away!" Raphael exclaimed, a deep growl rumbling from within his chest.

"It wouldn't have mattered. Once the information is transmitted, that's the end of it" Donnie stated, pushing the funny looking goggles to the top of his head.

"So what now?" Mikey asked, looking concerned.

"Don, can you see if you can track where the transmission was being sent?" Leonardo asked, his body rigid as the mutant gazed at his brother, hoping, as always, the purple wearing turtle would have a solution to their problem.

"I can try, but no promises" Donnie replied, his expression obviously appearing stressed with the newly acquired task. As always everything was weighted on his shoulders to find a solution.

"All you can do is your best, my son" Master Splinter said, walking over to place a hand on his son's arm. This reassurance did bring somewhat of a smile to Donnie's face.

"Wait, if those things watch us, do they watch Eva too?" Michelangelo spoke up, the realization finally hitting him and now his brothers. Their green faces suddenly paled at the thoughts of Evangeline possibly being under the optics of the robots that had attacked them. As much as Leo would have liked to think the young woman would be fine on her own, even with her blackouts he highly doubted she would last against the machines they had fought.

"If Eva would give the ok, maybe one of us could stake out at her place" Don suggested, going back to pulling apart the machine that was strewn across his work bench.

"I vote Leo to go" Raph immediately spoke up.

"Awe, why does Leo get to go?" Mikey whined with a pout, crossing his arms.

Leonardo gave a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. Why _did_ he always get nominated for stuff like this? Either way someone needed to go at least check on her and apparently that person was going to be him.

"Look, I'll go check on her, and if needed we'll do what we did before and take shifts" Leonardo said, turning to leave.

"Be careful, my son" Master Splinter stated briefly as the rest of them watched their brother leave.

030303030303030 0303030303030303030

"So, I just need you to sign here and you'll be all set" Evangeline stated, her index finger pointed to various blank spaces on the page as her customer did as instructed. As someone who took in animals who were either abandoned or no longer wanted, she had made sure to make paperwork ensuring the chances her animals were left in the same situation were minimal.

"Alright, that should do it" Eva said with a smile, watching the woman eagerly take the animal that lay within the box and left. This allowed Evangeline to sigh with relief, moving from behind the counter to check on some of the snakes that had been fed earlier. As she was doing this, her eyes caught a glance of a young red eared slider Eva had taken in a few weeks prior. The smallest of smiles crossed her lips, remembering the new companions that often visited her these days.

She and Leo had become closer since their lessons had started just two weeks before. Eva had found Leonardo to be a very patient and caring teacher, having come to look forward to his lessons in meditation. When they weren't deeply concentrated, the two had actually enjoyed quite a few lengthy conversations, especially over dinners that she had prepared.

Evangeline could vividly remember the mutant's features at this point, considering how many times she had snuck glances at him. The way his face was sculpted and how wise and kind Leo's eyes always looked with a hidden stress behind them. There had actually been a couple times when Eva had caught the serious turtle, much to her surprise, giving her a smile. Honestly, it was something she wouldn't mind seeing more often.

"A sudden knock on the door startled Evangeline from her thoughts, brows knitting together as she checked the time. Almost seven. Was there someone who scheduled that she had forgotten about? Slowly, Eva went to open the door where she found a man, looking to be not much older than her, standing in her doorway. He was tall, though nowhere near Leo's height, with short, mousy brown hair and dark eyes. Quite the looker if she did say so herself.

"Oh, um, hi" he said, almost looking surprised someone had actually answered the door.

"Hi, was there something I could help you with?" Evangeline's words were obviously guarded, knowing full well of the hidden dangers of New York.

"Ah, yea, I was actually looking for The Hourglass Diner and lost my way" he explained with a sheepish smile while rubbing the back of his head, ruffling the neatly fixed hair. Evangeline couldn't help but give a sweet smile at the action.

"You were probably headed the right way. Just go down that way and turn onto Frey Street, then it should be on the left" she directed, stepping out of the doorway to point where he need to go.

"Ok, thanks a lot miss..." he started to say, however his words trailed off with the lack of him knowing her name.

"Evangeline" Eva said with another smile up at the young man.

"Well, Evangeline, I'm Brandon" he replied, offering out his hand which the female before him took politely, "I'll see you around"

"Have a nice night" she bid, watching him turn to leave, continuing to smile to herself all the way up to when the door was shut and locked. Slowly she closed everything down for the night, heading upstairs to her apartment around nine.

"Eva…." a familiar voice nearly startled the young woman out of her skin, big eyes jerking up to see the eldest of the mutant ninja turtles standing in her living room with a heavy expression on his face.

"Leo? What's wrong? Did something happen?" Evangeline asked as a ripple of worry trickled down her spine as she quickly crossed the threshold.

"I came to check on you" Leonardo stated, his heavy gaze looking down at the human female, "We ran into another fight with the same robots as before, and when we brought some back for Don to look at, he found a chip that had been transmitting footage of us somewhere"

Evangeline's eyes widened, that trickle of worry turning into a flood. Someone was watching them? Why? Then again that may be a dumb questions. Either way, they could possibly be in extreme danger!

"And you came all the way here by yourself?" she questioned, glancing back at the way he had came with slight paranoia. They had obviously done fine while fighting together, but what would have happened had more of them ambushed Leo on his way there?

"Don't worry. I wasn't trained a a ninja just to get caught" Leo reassured, a small smile crossing his lips, the stress in his eyes seeming to disappear for just a split second. Honestly, to see someone so worried for his well-being was a nice, and welcome change considering he was usually the one doing the worrying.

"You didn't have to come all the way here and risk it though just to warn me" Evangeline countered, feeling something within her chest melt at the sight of Leonardo's smile toward her. What was this feeling all of a sudden? Yes, she worried for them but there was something else there. Something Eva hadn't felt in a very long time.

"But I did. If you get hurt because of us..." Leo's words trailed off, catching himself before he could finish the sentence. If Eva were to get hurt because of them, he'd never be able to forgive himself. It would surely drive the turtle mad.

"So what are you going to do? You guys can't risk one of you being here to watch me, it would make you vulnerable. All four of you are a team" She stated, looking up at the blue masked turtle. As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. What were they going to do?

Unless….


	16. Chapter 15

**A/N: Apologies for the very late chapters! I've unfortunately been going through a lot the past several months but I will try my very best to get the chapters I have planned for this story out! Hope everyone likes it and don't be afraid to leave a review! :)**

* * *

The strong stink of the sewer drafted under April's nose as she and Casey traveled through the underground path toward the lair. It had been a couple days since Donnie had messaged her about what had happened, also informing them of the new companion the lot of them had made.

As the light of the lair increased, they found that it was oddly quiet minus Mikey, of course, playing a co-op with various other players on his gaming system. The red head could hear Raph beating on the bags in the training room, and could only guess what Don was held up working on within his laboratory. Since when were things this peaceful and relaxed?

"Aye, anybody gonna say hello?" Casey suddenly announced in the loudest boom his voice could manage. April gave a slight cringe, covering the offended ear. Why hadn't Leo noticed their presence and alerted the others like usual?

"Ah, it is wonderful to see the two of you have visited us again" Master Splinter greeted, the scent of incense following the elder as he came from the dojo. A bushy eyebrow quirked toward his youngest, who seemed to be completely oblivious as to what was going on just behind him even after the demonstrated vocals of Casey Jones. A good jab from Splinter's cane did the trick of startling Michelangelo into pausing the game and practically throwing his headset into the floor.

"Ow-Oh! April! Casey! When did you guys get here?"

"Case!" Raphael's voice exclaimed as an unexpected punch was socked to her husband's arm, nearly knocking the man over.

"Aye, Raph!" Casey grinned, responding with his own hit on the turtle's bicep, however considering the amount the boys had grown over the past few years, this didn't seem to do much to the red masked brother.

"Heh, what the hell was that?" Raphael laughed, "I think yer goin' soft Casey"

"You wish!" the human male protested, leaping onto the over-sized terrapin, initiating a wrestling match between the two. April rolled her eyes. Leave it to her husband to get into a fight within the first five minutes of their visit. This brought her initial curiosity back as to why the fourth and oldest brother hadn't came to greet them.

"Where's Leo?"

"Spending the night with his girlfriend" Mikey piped up, only to earn a firm whack from his father's cane.

"Leonardo is teaching Miss Evangeline meditation and unfortunately must be absent this evening" Master Splinter explained, resting his hands back on the head of the cane as Michelangelo nursed the whelp on his head.

"Evangeline? Is she the one you told me about Don?" April asked, turning to look at the purple masked turtle.

"Yeah, a little while back Raph was, well, being Raph and long story short apparently she blacks out when her temper flares too much" he replied, resting his fingers around the belt that hung at his hips.

"Blackouts? Interesting...so about this robot business, you're afraid they might come after her?" April inquired, rubbing a finger on her chin.

"Its a possibility, yes"

"If she blacks out, couldn't she fight them off herself with the added adrenaline?" she asked further, stepping out of the way when her husband and Raphael rolled across the floor in the midst of their rough housing.

"Well, the thing is.." Don said, trying to think of a proper way to describe their newly found companion, however could only draw a blank, "You'll just have to meet her"

"Alright, I guess we could stop in tomorrow" April replied with a risen eyebrow, sighing at the grunts and cries of her beloved. What in the name of the universe had she been thinking?

"I can meet you there so she won't be completely thrown off. With recent events I seriously doubt there would be a chance of getting even the time of day from her if you came up claiming to know us" Donatello chuckled, the mere thought of something like that happening coming to mind.

"Not the trusting type?"

"Oh, you have _no idea"_

:3:3:3:3:3:3:3:3:3:3:3:3:3:3:3:3:3:3:3:3:3:

Evangeline smiled at the little turtle that swam around in its aquarium, begging her for more food. The reptiles were slowly growing on her, though most of that could be contributed to the four ninja that frequented her home a lot these days. This particular red eared slider was a young female that had been brought in after the owner had grown bored of her despite the spunky attitude she displayed. Dubbed Delilah, Eva had watched the turtle gain considerable size since coming into her care.

A knock at the door drew her attention toward the clock on the wall. Eight? What was it with people and dropping by so late recently? Drawing a heavy sigh, Eva cautiously went to answer the noise. Standing on the other side was a woman, possibly a bit older than her, with red hair that was pulled into a bun and stood slightly taller in height.

"Hi, my name is April O'Neil. I'm a friend of the boys" the woman greeted with a welcoming smile. Eva felt her defenses rise sharply, remembering the night Leo had came unexpectedly to her home warning of the possibility of being watched. Could this woman be involved with those people? Evangeline decided that the best course of action was to play dumb.

"Boys? I think you have the wrong place" Eva replied, keeping her voice as even as possible. This woman could be a threat to the small family that she had managed to make, and she would be damned before letting her manage out so much as a wrong hint.

"Eva, Its ok" a familiar voice, Donatello's, came from the other side of the room just behind her, "She really is a friend"

Even with this reassurance, Evangeline didn't take her eyes off the red head. Hesitantly, she stepped out of the way as a signal of permission to enter. Upon doing so, April was immediately met with the sight of a neatly organized shop filled with animals of different varieties. Most of them were among the reptile or amphibian species but there were a few mammals among the collection. Donatello had filled her in on their new friend's business but she had no idea it would be on this scale.

"Wow, all of these are yours?" April asked, wandering through a row of vivariums that held a range of geckos, frogs and snakes.

"Everything down here are animals that are being sold or adopted out to new homes, right Eva?" Donnie looked to the pixie-haired female who stood tensely by the door. Maybe they should have given her a heads up before inviting April.

"Yea" Evangeline replied, her sharp, watchful eyes never leaving the red head who had taken to walking about the shop. She wasn't comfortable with the stranger. Eva had just gotten use to the guys and now this woman was welcoming herself in via the turtles who hadn't so much as told her about this. Donatello easily spotted the way Evangeline's gaze followed April through the store, reminding the terrapin of a hawk over its nest, or a cat protecting its kittens. It was a bit more than obvious how uncomfortable Eva was with a stranger being in her home.

He took the few steps it took to be able to cautiously place a hand on the uneasy female's shoulder. Don knew she wouldn't go off but it couldn't hurt to be careful.

"Why don't we go upstairs? I can explain things a little better once we're with the others" Donatello suggested, drawing April's attention. It was only then that the red head noticed the stiff posture Evangeline held. Don hadn't been kidding about trust issues.

"Yea.. let's go" she mumbled, following Eva when the younger female strolled past and up the stairs.

"Eva! April! You're here!" Mikey exclaimed from the couch, looking away from the game he and Raph had started playing.

Evangeline didn't say anything, not that she didn't want to, but because the young woman was trying to refrain from saying anything rude or losing her temper. Leonardo, who was leaning against the back of the couch, noticed Eva's stiff posture and set jaw immediately.

Yea, they _may_ have screwed up.

"Yo, Eva, you ok dudette?" Mikey spoke up, the younger turtle earning some very tense looks from his brothers. Leave it to their little brother to make sure the obvious was brought to the forefront. Evangeline drew in a deep breath, unable to find the will to actually snap at the youngest of the turtles.

"Its all well and good that you guys know her but a forewarning would have been much appreciated considering everything that's happened" Eva stated, arms crossing firmly over her chest as the female watched the over grown mutants exchange guilty glances.

"Yea, sorry for that but admittedly we didn't know when April would be able to visit" Donnie explained, "Considering what's been going on with the robots, we wanted to find someone you could contact in case anything happened to us"

Evangeline's eyebrow rose curiously. What could happen to them? Although the thought also dawned on her that the turtles could be bringing April in as backup to prevent any blackouts. Admittedly, it _would_ be a safe precaution.

"Fair enough" Eva said, beginning to stroll over to her kitchen, "Anyone hungry?"


	17. Chapter 16

Wallet. Check.

House keys. Check.

Looking halfway decent and not like she just hopped out of bed…

Maybe a check?

She'd spent at least fifteen minutes trying to get her hair styled a way that wasn't completely atrocious, considering how much it had grown out within the past several weeks. Evangeline paused to glance in the mirror on the way out of her bedroom. The young woman had pulled on a pair of high waist, dark red jeans and a low cut, loose, black blouse that was tucked into the pants to show off her small frame, and had coupled the look with a pair of ankle boots. Silently approving the stylish outfit, Eva grabbed her hip length jacket and hurried down the stairs.

Already 6:30?! He would be there any minute! Right as her feet hit the bottom of the stairs there was a set of knocks at the door. Opening it, a small smile crossed Eva's face.

"Well damn, are you going on a date or something?" Brandon asked with a hearty chuckle as the handsome young man took notice of not only the outfit but also the fact Eva had chosen to sport a bit of makeup that night.

"What? I can't look decent in case someone has bad taste?" She retorted playfully, locking the door on the way out.

Two or three weeks prior to the current moment, Brandon had actually came knocking on Evangeline's door once again, although this time it wasn't for directions. She'd been more than a little nervous about the date, but came to find very quickly as confident as Brandon seemed, he had been just as jittery.

The date had honestly gone well. Evangeline found out Brandon worked as a bio-chemist at a local company and thoroughly enjoyed watching and thinking up various theories, not to mention a total star wars enthusiast. Eva had to admit as far as she saw, Brandon was very sweet and honest, however, there was just something that had been itching at the back of her mind that night. That feeling had stuck with the young woman, leading up to the moment where both of them had confessed their disinterest in one another. Much to both their relief they had come to a mutual agreement to remain as friends!

Evangeline smiled to herself as now the two of them were on another excursion to the Hourglass Diner for dinner and possibly a nice view since the male strippers two buildings down tended to venture there for food.

"I wonder if the one with the Aries tattoo will be there tonight..." Brandon thought aloud as the two strolled down the cold streets of New York.

"When are you going to get up the courage to actually ask him out instead of admiring his finely toned ass?" Evangeline spoke up with an amused chuckle.

"Hey, it isn't all about the ass girl. Trust me, his ass was the _only_ thing that was nice about him" the male stated as the two of them strolled into the diner, both relieved at the warm shelter from the late December cold. The pair took their usual seat at the back table, giving them a perfect view of the entrance.

"So, what _is_ your type then" Eva asked, nodding a thank you to the waitress who brought them their usual drinks consisting of a hot caramel cappuccino for herself and a black tea for Brandon. Her question seemed to make the young man think for a moment, tapping an index finger against his bottom lip.

"Well, you already know I don't really care about gender" he thought aloud, a regular habit.

"Right" Evangeline agreed, taking a sip from her beverage.

"Honestly, I'd like someone a bit more considerate, and would at least _listen_ to my theory rants, I mean, they don't have to take part but it would be nice" Brandon let a sigh, the steam from his tea drifting, "And, not to be shallow, but someone at least on the cute meter would be much appreciated"

Eva gave more amused chuckles.

"So, a cute nerd?" She mused, thoughts drifting to a certain purple-masked turtle the woman had become good friends with. Too bad there wasn't a way of introducing them or Brandon may have the chance he wanted.

"Possibly. What about you crazy animal lady? You can't be only in the company of creatures your entire life" the young male asked with a curious grin. Evangeline actually paused, having never actually given the subject extensive thought. Then again, the times she had, it had only given the same result, even in meditation.

"Oh? Your lengthy silence tells me there may already be a type in the midst" her companion chimed, cutting through her thoughts like a razor blade.

Wait a second. Could she really be? Then again, Eva was never one to be dishonest, especially with herself. Maybe he could help her figure it out if the conversation was kept vague.

"Maybe? I'm not really sure" She softly admitted, setting the coffee cup down. Brandon's eyebrows rose. In the short time he and Evangeline had been friends he'd never wedged a damn thing out of the girl that concerned her personal life. This must really be something if she's consulting him about it.

"You're not sure?" he gently pressed, "Are they doing something to make you rethink or are you just not sure?"

"Honestly, I'm just not sure" she replied, leaning back in the metal chair, "He's...different. Not that I mind, really I don't, but I don't really go around throwing myself at guys hoping for something in return, so I don't really know yet"

Brandon thought this over for a second, allowing a sip from his tea to sink in.

"Well, what's he like? Must be something special to catch your fancy"

Evangeline shot the young man a bemused look.

"You make it sound like I'm picky"

"Trust me honey, I can tell. You're only after an apple that's _exactly_ made to your taste" Brandon stated with a cheeky grin. Ok, maybe he was right.

"He's strong, both physically and otherwise, patient and very protective of his family. Admittedly to a fault sometimes but it's something I've come to admire. We have some things in common but in reality he's just as mistrusting as I am so I don't actually know a whole lot about him" Eva explained, running her fingertips around the rim of her mug. The more she spoke of him, the more Leonardo's image kept coming to mind. His piercing blue eyes, strong features and very well muscled body….

"So the hero type huh?" Brandon said with a small, toothy grin, "I can see it"

"Yea, but we haven't really known each other long. I think its been almost two months now?"

"Pffffft. Long enough to hop on that shit though"

Evangeline couldn't help her eyebrow shooting up at the sudden statement.

"I don't know" she half mumbled, not entirely sure what to make of her companion's words.

"If you don't know now, you'll spend eternity trying to decide. Fuck it. Just say fuck it and do it" Brandon stated, finishing his tea.

"Maybe you're right..."

"Eva, sweetheart, of course I am"

The two spent the next hour or so carrying on a wide array of other conversations and finishing off a few more beverages up until they decided to leave.

"Well, until next time sweet cheeks" Brandon stated, giving a small wave once he had dropped Evangeline off at her door.

"Later" Came her brief good-bye as the young woman unlocked and opened the door before stepping into the darkness with a heavy sigh.

"Have a good time?"

Evangeline let a sharp gasp at the start the sudden voice gave her, whirling around to see the large, faint shadow standing just feet away from her.

"Fuck, Leo, you scared the _life_ out of me!" she breathed, holding a hand over her pounding heart, nerves still jumping under her skin, "What are you doing here? Our lesson isn't until tomorrow"

Her lessons had certainly helped with preventing any blackouts, despite them still having not found a definite cause for them. Eva had begun to think, however, that Leonardo just liked coming to her place to meditate because it was his only escape from his brothers.

"Who was that?" his voice sounded more firm, almost demanding.

"A friend"

"You don't have friends"

Eva couldn't help a visible flinch at his blunt retort.

"Well, now I do. I met Brandon several weeks ago and we hit it off"

The shape that was the blue masked turtle seemed to stiffen, something the young woman spotted right away.

"Hopefully you two ' _hitting it off'_ won't put us in danger" the leader stated, his voice holding an amount of ice that Eva hadn't heard in a long time.

"Wait..what? Where the hell…?" Evangeline started, however realization hit, bringing a small chuckle to her throat, "Leo, I don't like Brandon like that. Even if I did, he's not interested in me"

"I doubt that"

"Leo, he's gay...er...bi...pan? Something like that! Either way, we mutually agreed on staying friends" she reassured, stuffing her hands in the jacket she wore.

"It doesn't matter" Leonardo swerved the subject back suddenly, "Your friendship may put us in danger"

"Wait, are you implying that I might tell him about you guys?" Evangeline asked, thoroughly flabbergasted at what he may be insinuating. She prayed silently that it wasn't true, however his heavy silence told otherwise. Eva felt her heart plummet into the pit of her stomach. After all this time, he still placed such distrust in her?

"Y-you really think that I'm going to…?" Evangeline couldn't finish her sentence, her face giving away the full amount of hurt that was currently screaming through her body.

"Why?" she asked, voice wavering from its normal even tone, "Why would you think something like that? I don't understand. I would never do something like that to you guys!"

"How are we suppose to know? Even if you don't tell anyone, accidents happen, especially with this guy you've decided to hang out with" Leo said, the firmness in his voice ever steady, however, Eva's ears picked up something else that seemed to peak out from beneath it. Wait, was he..?

"Leonardo, are you jealous?" She nearly blurted out, eyes narrowing toward the mutant. Unfortunately it was a bit too dark to see his expression considering the light switch was on the opposite wall.

"Why would I be jealous?" was the quick, suddenly uneven retort from Leo, her sensitive ears catching the chance within his voice.

"I don't know, you tell me"

"Why are you assuming I'm jealous of someone like him?"

"Why do you keep bouncing back and forth between not trusting me and targeting Brandon as a potential lover for me huh? After I insist I'm not interested in him that way?"

The room fell silent, the bickering turning into a thick air of tension as the large terrapin stood speechless. What was there left to argue back with? He could only stand there, a bit stunned by her ability to back him into a corner.

"You know what? I'll leave you to decide things from here Leo. Brandon's advice will just have to wait" Evangeline finally said, striding across the floor of the shop, past the turtle man.

"Advice?" he inquired, an eye ridge raising curiously.

"Don't worry. Your secret is safe, so don't lose your shit" was the cold retort given by the female as she took the stairs one at a time, "I'm heading to bed early, you know your way out"


	18. Chapter 17

Evangeline sighed to herself, curling up further into the couch while pulling the fluffy quilt she had taken shelter within closer. The television at this point was nothing more than a filler noise in the background as the young woman leaned against the arm of the sofa, thoroughly engrossed in a thickly bound novel. Considering the argument the night before, Eva doubted that the mutant turtle would show up, but even so she had decided to wait for him a few hours more.

She felt a bit bad for confronting him so aggressively the night before, but then again, it had been hurt talking rather than a level head. Eva had a bad habit of either going for the jugular or aiming to back them into a corner when she was feeling hurt or had let her anger fall out of check. Hopefully there would be an opportunity to at least apologize, not for her feelings but for the words that came from them.

A sudden shift in the air perked Evangeline's attention, the small young woman looking up from her book toward the source of the new, chilly breeze. Almost as if on cue with her thoughts, the blue masked turtle now stood within the doorway of the room he had entered from.

"Leo, I-"

"Get dressed, I'd like to take you somewhere" he interrupted, drawing a very surprised expression from the young woman. Where did this come from?

"Where?" She asked while rising from the warmth of the blanket.

"You'll see"

Eva nodded, pondering to herself what could have caused this sudden shift in the leader. Unlike the night before his voice was soft, though demanding, but less accusing and icy by far. Could one of his brothers or Master Splinter said something to him?

These thoughts rattled around in Eva's head as she ventured into her room and pulled on a pair of jeans, boots and ever reliable faux leather jacket. If she was going to be going through a window again, by god this time she would be prepared for it!

Emerging from the bedroom, Evangeline's eyes caught the blue gaze of the eldest brother for a moment. What could he be planning? Would it be something to do with her meditation lessons? He was being oddly quiet. Well, more so than usual.

"Come on, we need to get moving" Leo stated softly, as the large turtle turned to lead the way to the unlocked window.

"So, no hints?" Eva asked, attempting to lift the mood as she watched him begin to crawl through it.

"If I did that, you might figure it out" was his chuckled reply as the ninja crawled through, disappearing momentarily until lowering back down where he reached his hands back through. Gulping a little, the young woman pushed back the memories of the last time she had let the turtle pull her through the window and allowed her small hands to be engulfed within Leonardo's firm but gentle grip.

Despite bracing for it, Evangeline still felt her stomach turn and her heart pound against its chest cavity when Leonardo sent her sailing into the air. Eyes squeezed shut, a low whimper wrestled its way out of her restrain from screaming and waking the next two city blocks. Once again the fall was abruptly halted by the steady, warm embrace of the blue masked turtle, finally allowing Evangeline to release the lung full of air she had sucked in.

Carefully, Leonardo set his small charge down, being sure her balance was safely secure before completely letting go. He wouldn't admit it aloud but the turtle found these small glances of vulnerability in Evangeline to be something he both appreciated and relished. Normally she was so well withdrawn and controlled it made it hard to tell what the young woman may be thinking or feeling. Unfortunately Leo was well aware of what he had done the night before and could hardly think of an excuse for his harsh treatment.

She had been right. Jealousy had managed to cloud his judgment and in return the leader had taken it out on the very woman he had never wanted to push away anymore. He wouldn't actually tell her this though.

"Alright, where to?" Eva asked once her sense of balance had been regained over the shakiness in her legs. It had taken a moment but there was certainly a distinct chill in the air that night. Was it suppose to snow?

"We'll head north from here" he replied, positioning himself to pick Eva back up, however raised an eyebrow ridge when the young female stepped away.

"Actually, I wouldn't mind running with you for a while. It'd be easier on you and I can work up some body heat" Evangeline suggested, adjusting the zipper on her jacket.

"You sure you can keep up?" Leo questioned, skeptical. He was aware that she could run well, but keeping up with him while jumping rooftops was something a bit different.

"Leo, as long as we aren't jumping canyons or something I'm sure I'll be fine for a little while" Eva reassured with a tone of confidence that made Leo give into a grin of amusement.

"Just let me know when you've had enough. Donnie will kill me if you fall of a building" the mutant lightly teased, starting off at a light sprint across the rooftop. He was skeptical at first, taking it easy so she wouldn't tire or possibly take a jump she couldn't handle, however every time the leader glanced back, Eva was right there on his heels. Leo would have kept that pace if he hadn't glanced at his shell cell and realized that they were pressed for time.

"Everything ok back there?" He asked, taking a look back at Evangeline who's breath misted in the cold air.

"Perfectly fine" she replied, feeling her body building heat as the speed they were sprinting at slowly began to increase. The jumps across the buildings started to happen closer together as Eva took each leap in stride. The night air bit at her cheeks, and nose while her eyes stayed concentrated forward to follow Leo's movements. How could he be out here dressed in practically nothing? Wasn't he a reptile? Then again, the four brothers and their father weren't exactly a normal bunch were they?

Leo's halt on the next rooftop signaled Evangeline to come from her thoughts as the young woman slowed her pursuit, panting lightly. Why had they stopped? Looking around, she saw nothing more than lights in various buildings and heard nothing but the bustling sounds of traffic beneath them. Eva began approaching the male.

"Leo, where are yo-" She began to ask, however once her food put its weight down, Eva found herself slipping on a sheet of ice.

"WOA!" she screeched, arms flailing in the air in attempt to balance herself as Evangeline slid across the roof with the grace of a beached walrus and promptly fell straight on her tush.

Leonardo did his best to remain composed as his cheeks puffed out in attempt to fight back the laugh that was threatening to burst from his chest. Never in his time of knowing her had Leo seen Eva so clumsy and exposed. It started as uncontrollable chuckles that spluttered from his mouth, then erupted into poorly restrained laughs, earning the turtle a pout as Evangeline pulled herself to sit up.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. While you're doing that get your ass over here and help me up" Eva ordered, finding herself chuckling along with him as she held out a hand. Leo, still failing to suppress his laughter, carefully reached to pull the young woman effortlessly to her feet, his arm seeming to naturally fall to Eva's lower back when she lightly collided with his plastron.

"So, where to?" Evangeline asked, finding herself admiring how smooth his plastron was under her chilly fingers.

Focus Eva!

"Not far now, but you'll have to hitch a ride on my back from here" Leonardo replied, slowly pulling his arm from her back to be able to kneel down.

"Um..ok" she mumbled, hoisting herself carefully onto the back of the large mutant's shell. The edge of his carapace was a bit rough but Evangeline was able to position herself so that she wouldn't tire or fall off.

"Ready?"

"Yea, though I sti- WOA!" Eva didn't make it through the full sentence due to Leonardo suddenly taking off, causing her tiny fingers to clutch harder onto his shell. The cold air but harder into her cheeks and dried out her eyes, forcing Eva to blink away the building wateriness. Eventually the young woman gave upon trying to see where they were going, ducking her face down and bracing for every jump and climb. She could hear Leo's breathing, which hardly labored while carrying her up what felt like a completely vertical surface and could nearly feel the flex of his muscles through the thickness of his shell.

"Alright, we're here" Leonardo's voice and the halt of movement gave Eva the signal to carefully let herself down and examine where exactly the terrapin had taken them.

Evangeline's jaw dropped.

There before them were the vast lights of Manhattan as the two stood atop the Brooklyn Bridge which towered high above the waters with a breathtaking view of the city below.

"Leo, how did we…?" Evangeline asked, drawing in a breath of amazement as she stared out at the view before them. The question was pretty stupid on her part, obviously, but there were no words to express what she was seeing right now.

"I come up here every once in a while to think. Its the only place you can really see both the city and the sky" Leo answered softly as the turtle strolled over to what looked like an old blanket that had been laid out to defend against the harsh, cold stone. Once he was seated, Eva followed, sitting with her legs folded beside the turtle.

"Why did you bring me up here Leo?" Evangeline asked as she gazed out at the shining lights that reflected off the water, feeling his intense eyes look down at her.

"I wanted to apologize for my behavior last night" was the ever soft reply, his voice seeming to pause momentarily in thought, "You've done nothing but show my family respect and loyalty, while I questioned it"

Evangeline smiled slightly at the apology from the mutant that sat next to her. She wondered how long he'd had to meditate to decide just how ridiculous he had acted.

"How long did you have to meditate to come to all this?" Evangeline asked with a chuckle, unable to resist speaking her curiosity.

"Not as long as you'd think" Leo replied with a deep, yet good natured eye roll.

"So as an apology you brought me to your secret spot?" Eva thought aloud, pulling her jacket closer to her body when a particularly chilly breeze blew by, "Considering the view, I think I might give you forgiveness"

An amused chuckle worked its way up from Leonardo's chest. He would certainly take it.

"Then maybe this will help me earn it fully" Leo said, directing the young woman's gaze up to the sky. It took a few moments but soon the bright moon that shined above them started to change, its light phasing slowly to a deep red as the Lunar Eclipse started to pass over. Evangeline's eyes widened, unable to look away as even when the heavy clouds started to pass over, the red still shone brightly through. She couldn't help but wonder why exactly Leo had brought her up here. No, he hadn't lied about wanting to apologize but her instincts gave the feeling that there definitely was something else. Of course, there would be no chance the ninja would say what it was but it was expected.

Damn it.

A particularly chilly wind suddenly blew by, cutting through the warmth Eva had built up, making the female shiver. This wasn't left undetected.

"Do you want to go back? You look cold" Leo inquired, not at all bothered by the dropping temperature due to his intense training over the years.

"No, I'm fine" Eva stated, not wanting this beautiful view to end so soon as the gentle fall of flurries began coming down from the sky. Unfortunately for her, the quiver of her bottom lip gave it away.

"Says the one shivering" Leo said with a raised eye ridge. She could be so stubborn.

Evangeline gave a firm pout, silently cursing her body for not being more resilient. Thinking for a moment, she debated with herself before deciding to take a small chance on Brandon's advice to test the waters on a feeling. But seriously she really was freezing too. Shifting her weight onto her hip, Eva scooted the several inches it took to press into Leonardo's side, not minding the firm hardness of his plastron. Much to her surprise he was actually warm for a reptile!

"Eva, what are you..?" Leo breathed, hardly able to find a proper reaction for what Evangeline was currently doing as his heart softly started to pound in his chest.

"I actually am cold, but I don't want to leave yet so we should conserve body heat" Was her flat reply, scooting closer without looking away from the sky above them.

The terrapin was stiff for a moment, swallowing the lump in his throat as his arm hesitantly rested around the female's much smaller body. When Eva didn't pull away or give any sort of alarming reaction, only then did Leo allow his three-fingered hand to relax on her hip.

Despite layers of clothing he could still catch the faint scent of her floral body wash, and if he tried, Leo could nearly feel the steady beat of Evangeline's heart as her back pressed partially against his torso. This feeling, the one that had been showing itself every time the eldest brother was around Evangeline, wriggled its way once again to the forefront. It always started in his chest, then spread throughout the turtle's entire body. It was happening even at that moment as the two sat on the bridge beneath the sky.

"Leo?" Eva's voice perked the male's attention.

"Yes?"

"Can we do this more often?" She asked, her head resting back against his chest, making the eldest brother's heart flutter yet again.

"Of course" Was his soft reply as Leo found it impossible to deny wanting to have more moments like these. Unconsciously, the hand that had been on her hip came up to run its fingers through her soft hair that had been allowed to grow out. They sat there for what seemed like eternity just gazing up at the night sky, the sounds of traffic below hardly noticed anymore.

Leonardo gave a glance down after a while, only to be surprised by the sight of Evangeline sleeping peacefully against him. Her expression was so child-like and almost innocent. The mutant couldn't help but give a smile as his fingers brushed a few stray hairs from her delicate face. He would savor moments like these, no matter how much Leo knew it would hurt in the future when Evangeline would most likely want to lead a normal life, meaning he and his family would be left only as a distant memory.

You're a fool Hamato Leonardo. He would think that to himself, just as he thought right at that moment, but even so, it was worth every second.


	19. Chapter 18

"Donnie, do I wanna ask what kind of contraption you're working on?" Eva chuckled from her place at the stove as the young woman worked on the turkey that was laid out in a pan before her. Donatello paused, breaking concentration on the strange metal cube that was held delicately in his hands.

"Just a little something to help triangulate the signal those robots were using. It may bring us closer to finding them, before they find us"

"Eva looked over at the purple masked turtle that she had come to be very good friends with. Ever since they had learned about the footage being transmitted by the robots, Donnie had worked tirelessly to find some sort of clue, trace and signal that he could get a hold of. Honestly it was times like these when she could see the growing rings around the turtle's eyes and a sudden spike in coffee consumption that Evangeline started to worry about him overworking.

"Hey Don?" She tried, wanting to, even if it were momentarily, keep his attention away from the device.

"Yes, Eva?"

"How much do you know about Leo?"

Ok, the question made a little more sense in her head, but from the look the younger brother was giving her, the initial intention had worked.

"You're going to have to be a bit more specific" Donnie stated, giving a curiously raised eye ridge. What on earth could she possibly want to know about his older brother?

"Well, like, um, his favorite color?" she replied, however quickly gave herself a mental slap across the face. Ok, stupid, you can do better than that!

"What I mean is, what are some of the things he likes? Between him and Raph I really don't know much about either of them unlike with you and Mikey" Eva rapidly revised, busying herself with pulling spices from the cabinets. Donatello seemed to be thinking something under the mask of his curiously raised eye ridge. Hopefully it wasn't suspicion.

"Why not ask him yourself?" Donnie asked, slowly returning his attention to the small, metal cube. Her sudden interest in Leo was pretty intriguing but he _had_ to finish this! Evangeline pursed her lips, thinking hard on how to draw Don's eyes away from the device once again. She couldn't, wouldn't, dare tell him what had been going through her head for the past few weeks, but there had to be something!

Think, Eva! Think!

"We both know your brother will probably think I'm trying to find his weakness or something" Eva stated, attempting to make a joke toward the trouble she and the leader had put behind them some time ago. A light chuckle from Donatello made a small smile cross the young woman's lips.

"Unfortunately, you do have a point" Donnie agreed, however still failed to look up from his project, leaving Evangeline disappointed. When the purple masked turtle devoted himself to something it seemed like there was absolutely nothing that would drag him away from it. Eva sighed, opening the oven to pop the turkey in, adjusting the heat before pulling up a stool up to the counter across from Donatello.

"So, what are some of the things he likes? There has to be more than just martial arts and meditation" She asked, lifting Zeus up into her lap when the large reptile came crawling up.

"Well, I'm sure the color favoritism is obvious, but I have caught him enjoying a few old Japanese horror films. It seems to be one of the minimal things he and Mikey have in common" he replied, glancing up thoughtfully, bringing a slight smile to the woman across from him. So far her efforts weren't totally in vain. An eyebrow raised, however at the mention of Leo's like of horror movies.

"I would have never pegged Leo for the horror movie type" she commented, running her fingers over the iguana's head scales, nearly lulling him to sleep.

"You'd be surprised" Donatello chuckled, leaning back in his seat to stretch, "If I'm not mistaken, lately he's had a bit of a craze on the interest people have had on the art of historical Japanese weapon forging"

"So, he's nuts for anything to do with Japan?" Eva's eyebrow raised with an amused smile. Well this made things much simpler.

"Pretty much" Donnie replied, however paused when looking over at his companion. Evangeline's eyes shone with a particular spark that certainly hadn't been there before, and her posture was light, almost airy in appearance. The turtle thought for a moment, a brief wonder popping into his head about the change the young woman was showing. This wasn't something sudden, it couldn't be. Yes, Evangeline had certainly opened up more to them compared to before, but even then her attitude was still unwavering and none of them still knew absolutely anything about her save for a few simple, or blatant characteristics.

Donatello crunched the factors, running through all possibilities. No, he doubted it was what he suspected. From personal experience, it was highly improbable. He glanced to his dear friend again, examining every feature. Perhaps a test? It wouldn't hurt.

"He also seems to have taken a liking to giving you lessons" Donnie nonchalantly added, bracing himself for whatever Eva may throw out as a reaction. Much to his surprise, her face seemed to freeze with the faintest dusting of pink over her cheeks. Since when did she blush?

"I...I don't know about that! Really I think he just comes here because it's quiet and this is the only place he can find some peace, kinda like you" Evangeline protested lightly, struggling a little to keep her tone even. Keep your head in the game Eva!

"That could be true, but even then I've even noticed what a better mood Leo has been in. I'm not sure just meditation would do something like that considering how straight laced he's been these past few years" Don confidently countered with a quirked grin. Yes, his challenge was bold but her reactions were not just amusing but they also tattled on the confirmation he was searching for in order to know if his theory was right. In a way, Don really hoped it was considering how much more peaceful things had been. Even Raph was more tolerable!

Evangeline on the other hand was struggling to keep her poker face. Had she been so careless that Donatello had noticed? Did this mean someone else had? What about Mikey? Then again knowing the youngest he would have announced it by now. What was she suppose to do though? What was there to say? The more the gears in her head turned the more red Eva's face grew. Calm down damn it!

"Like I said, its quieter here" she repeated, continuing to pet Zeus, "He teaches me meditation and tries to help me with finding the source of my blackouts"

"If that's all then why is your face pink" Donnie pointed out, bringing the hammer down on his test, and watching Eva's face gain two more shades. As amusing as this was, the genius was genuinely curious and concerned about where this might lead.

He watched her words freeze, unable to speak as the young woman became flustered and indecisive with what to say. Watching her struggle like this was more than enough to confirm what was possibly obvious from the start. With this in mind more than likely it would be wise to stop the test here rather than pursue it and end up making the poor girl fry her brain from sheer body temperature increase.

"Eva, you know we're mutants…."

Her stammering came to an immediate halt, Donatello's solemn tone being enough to jerk her from the rapid flood of thoughts.

"I'm definitely aware." Evangeline stated, her voice returning to its normal state. He knew, it was more than apparent, but the worry on the tall male's face was more concerning.

"Just making sure.." Donatello uttered, reaching for his tools, "I'd better start heading back considering how much you've been trying to distract me from my work"

Evangeline cracked a larger smirk at the look of knowing the ninja was giving her. She more or less counted on him catching onto her little game, considering it wasn't as if it were well hidden anyway.

"Hey, it worked didn't it?"

"For a few moments, maybe" Donatello chuckled, storing each tool carefully in its place. In a way, He really did appreciate what Eva had been trying to do. This transmitter had been the reason for his poor amount of sleep and constant intake of caffeine. If only he could just figure out a way to finish the triangulation configuring.

"Don?" Eva's voice brought his eyes up where the young woman gazed at him with concern. So it was that noticeable?

"Yes?"

"Why not take a break for a little while? This thing, whatever it is, you've been killing yourself trying to get it done" Evangeline said as she watched the turtle inhale and release a sigh. By now she knew very well that was an immediate decline.

"Eva, I have to finish this. We don't know who sent these things or why whoever sent them wanted that footage. What if-" Donnie started, however Eva was having none of it.

"-But its been almost a month, Don! Yea that doesn't mean we're safe but it also means whoever it is obviously has time to spare. One or two days of rest won't hurt anything" she interjected, determined to get her point across. Unfortunately the tall mutant wasn't having it either as his head shook side to side.

"But it could"

Donatello suddenly felt a particular trickle run down his spine when Eva's expression tightened, her eyes narrowing with a certain glint. Oh dear, he had an idea what that meant, and he _didn't_ like it!

"Fine" the words bit their way past her lips as before the turtle could stop her, Eva had snatched up the cube and was making a run for her bedroom door. Don's eyes nearly burst from their sockets.

"Hey! No! Where are you taking that! Eva, put it down!" he shouted, quickly taking after the young woman. Donnie dove over the couch in attempt to stop the thief, however missed poorly due to her suddenly stopping dead, taking advantage of his recovery time to dart into the dark room. By the time Don made it to the doorway and flicked on the light Evangeline had already slammed the dresser door closed.

"Eva, give it back" he demanded, marching across the room at his full height.

"No, until you go home and get some proper rest, I'm not giving it to you" the much shorter female retorted, also straightening herself against the turtle with a stern, fearless expression. Only one of them obviously appeared severely intimidating.

"And what's to stop me from opening that drawer and taking it?" Don questioned, reaching over the small woman for the knob.

"The fact you'll have to fish through all of my nighties, bras and underwear"

He froze, the normally logical genius feeling his face heat up. Under normal, medical or emergency circumstances something as basic as female, or any, anatomy was completely ignored for the sake of the situation at hand, garments included. Unfortunately, this wasn't one of those times the turtle could just look past the thin, delicate fabric and where it belonged on the female body. Both decency and the fact he just couldn't bring himself to do it made Donatello lower his hand, now looking down at Eva who wore a satisfied smirk on her face.

"That was dirty" he mumbled, for the first time finding himself irritated with the female that stood before him.

"Since when did I say I played fair?" she retorted, crossing her arms, "Like I said, I'll give it back after you go home and get some proper rest for a day or two"

"Fine" the mutant huffed, grumbling to himself as he turned and marched out of the bedroom. He could be mad if he wanted but she only wanted to best for her dear friend. He would just have to suck it up.

:3:3:3:3:3:3:3:3:3 :3:3:3:3:3:3:3:3:3:3

Raphael wiped the sweat that had started to build up on his brow as the chain that held the punching bag squeaked in protest against the swinging weight it supported. There were no other noises within the dojo, especially since Mikey had grown bored and went to go play more video games, leaving Raph and Leonardo to their own devices. The red masked turtle glanced over at his older brother who hadn't moved from his meditation for over two hours now. The only time Leo seemed to stay under this long was when something was bothering him. Raphael sighed, walking over to stand near his brother, large arms crossed over his plastron.

"Ok Fearless, what's eatin' ya now?" Raph's gruff voice asked, though the tone wasn't nearly as sharp as when he was mocking the eldest. He genuinely wanted to know this time.

"I'm thinking on Evangeline's next lesson tomorrow" Leo replied without opening his eyes. Raphael raised an eye ridge toward the unconvincing answer.

"Haven't ya taught'er just about everything ya can on meditation?"

"There is always something left to learn, as there is to teach Raph"

Raphael thought for a moment. Leo was definitely right but the younger sibling know there was something else picking at his brother's brain. What could it be? After a few moments he decided possibly some teasing could wrestle the answer out of the elder ninja.

"Or, you've taught'er everything and are just tryin' to find excuses to keep going back for 'lessons'" Raphael used his three-fingered hands to emphasize on his "lessons". At first he thought the silence that followed was just the leader ignoring him, however the faintest tense in Leo's lip and a slight color change made Raph's jaw slack from its hinges. Well _this_ was surprising!

"Wait, you _are!_ Holy shit, Leo I never thought-"

"Did you have a point you were trying to make Raphael?" Leo asked, one of his eyes peering open to stare sternly at his younger brother. Better to try and stop this while he was ahead before it was turned into something the leader would rather not deal with.

"Yea! I'm thinkin' you're growin' a soft spot for'er fearless" Raph chimed, a grin spreading over the turtle's face. Oh-ho! Never did he think the day would come when there would be something to hold on his brother! Especially a female!

"She's pleasant company I'll admit" Leo replied flatly, attempting to go back to his meditative state.

"Pleasant? I bet. I mean, she's no Victoria's Secret model but if you get past the whole black out problem and the overwhelming amount of animals, you gotta admit the total package isn't so bad" Raph purposely thought aloud, crossing his arms while studying Leo's face, "Sure, her chest isn't _super_ impressive but there's obviously some curves goin' on. Her ass ain't that bad either and as petite as that tiny body she's got is, I bet that's one tight-"

"Raphael, that's _enough"_ Leo's eyes popped open to glare a warning toward his brother. The grin that spread wider on the red masked turtle's face was proof he'd gotten the reaction he had been looking for. Raph's words had created an image, one extremely inappropriate, of Evangeline within Leonardo's mind that now tattooed itself into place and showed no signs of leaving anytime soon.

"Aye, there's nothin' wrong with it bro, ya neva know" Raph chuckled, enjoying the light crimson color shift on his older brother's face. This was actually a little fun!

"We're mutants Raph, or have you forgotten what happened with Don and April?" Leo stated, his gaze hardening slightly, doing his best not to think too much on it. It was hard enough when she _was_ around, now Raphael had wrestled this out of him. So much for not dealing with it.

Raph on the other hand now found himself reeling a little. Wait, Donnie and April? Was Leo really…? Holy hell, this really changed things. At first he had just thought this would be something to tease his brother about to get an answer out of him but now it was more serious since this actually _was_ the problem. No wonder Leo had been meditating a lot more lately! Damn, this was possibly _very_ bad.

"Geez Leo, I didn't think-"

"Don't worry about it Raph" Leo grunted, standing from the cushion to walk toward the door.

"Aye, you know where to find me if ya need me bro" Raphael said, watching his brother with a concerned expression as Leo left without another word. Donnie had taken the thing with April hard enough, he could only imagine what Leonardo was feeling right now. Hopefully his brother would take it better or at least come to him or Master Splinter over it rather than let it fester. The last thing they needed was their leader falling out on them. Great. Just _freaking great!_


	20. Chapter 19

(A/N: Really sorry for the unexpected hiatus! Some stuff has really kept me busy in my personal life but I am going to do my best to write more if things allow me to! :) )

"Mikey, I need a serious favor" Donatello stated, strolling stiffly over to the couch where his younger brother was in his natural habitat with brain-melting video games.

"Wait, what?" Michelangelo piped, taken aback by the fact his genius sibling, the one _he_ usually asked favors from, had came to _him!_

"I said, I need a favor" Donnie repeated, plopping down next to Mikey. He really hated to do this, but it was either Mikey or Raphael and Don would rather not be teased over this for the next century.

"Dude..." the youngest mumbled, actually pausing his game to direct his full, undivided attention to Donatello, "Whatever it is must be serious bro. What's up?"

Don drew in a deeper breath, deciding carefully on how to word his situation. Either way, he was probably going to get laughed at.

"Well, you remember the Transmission Triangulation Response Tracker I've been working on?"

The blank look of confusion on his brother's face meant he didn't remember or most likely that the youngest hadn't the slightest idea what Donnie was talking about.

"The T.T.R.T? The mechanism I couldn't figure out how to finish?"

"No. Speeeaky. Nerrrrrd. Com-prend-aye?"Michelangelo slowly enunciated, using his hands to express a wide array of gestures Don assumed was suppose to be sign language. He sighed, thinking of a way to dumb it down for his little brother.

"The small, shiny box thingy" Donnie stated flatly, making a cube shape with his hands.

"Ohhhh! Why didn't you just say that! Ok, what about the whatcha-do-hickey? You lose it?" Mikey asked, leaning back with his arms resting behind his head.

"No, Eva took it"

Michelangelo paused, eye ridge raising. Something seemed a little odd with this picture.

"Why would she take your box thing?"

"Apparently I need a break" Don retorted with a deep eye roll. The youngest, however, only now seemed to realize what Evangeline may have been concerned about. The circles around Donatello's eyes were deeper than they probably should be, and his scent wreaked of old coffee. Damn, why hadn't Mikey noticed all this before?

"Right, and you want me to get it back?"

"Exactly"

"Donnie, bro, you're a 6'7 mutant turtle genius, why don't you just take'er on or figure something out? Why do I have to do it?" the youngest asked, thoroughly confused as to what Eva could have done to stop the huge turtle in his tracks. It must be serious!

"She…." Donatello tapered off, drawing the courage to actually admit what happened, "...hid it….in...her...underwear...drawer.."

There was a long pause as Mikey barely made out what his older brother was mumbling. The realization slowly kicking in made it difficult for Mikey to keep a straight face as a smile forced its was across his lips.

"Mikey, no. Its not funny "Don stated sternly, pointing a green finger in warning at the cracking turtle.

"Pfffff….!" Michelangelo sputtered as uncontrollable chuckles threatened to turn into laughter and Donnie's stern looking face was _NOT_ helping.

"I swear Mikey-"

"I-It's just….pfffftttt-!" Mikey had to pause to compose himself enough to speak, "Its just, its underwear! Of all the fucking things Don!"

"Yea, well, some of us have decency" Donatello retorted, soft red spreading over his cheeks in embarrassment, "This was a mistake"

"No, I got you bro! No worries!" Mikey chuckled, waving a hand at his brother, "What's the plan? If I get caught, I don't want to know what she or Leo might do to me"

"Mikey, this is so simple, you can't _possibly_ screw it up" Don reassured, shifting toward his brother on the couch.

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

"You seem distracted tonight" Leo's familiar voice softly uttered, bringing Eva to draw in a deep sigh. Her hazel eyes lifted open to look down at the carpet they sat on.

"I guess I just can't concentrate very well tonight" she replied, running a hand through her ever growing dark hair.

"Is something on your mind?" he asked, watching the young woman closely, taking in her hard to read expression. One of the few people Leo had met that he couldn't read very well, and admittedly it bothered him. It wasn't because it drove him crazy, but for the fact he would never know if something were wrong, meaning there would be no way for him to help.

"I guess I'm just worried about Donnie" Eva admitted, rubbing her palm against her forehead. What she didn't see was the concerned look on Leo's face.

"Donnie? Did something happen?"

"Ever since this thing with the weird robots, Don has literally been working himself too death trying to finish that cube thing. He's so worried about you all being found and letting everyone down he's barely getting any rest" she replied, her fingertips playing with the carpet, "I've never seen him look so terrible"

Now that she mentioned, Leo _had_ noticed how deeply set and exhausted Donatello had been lately. It wasn't anything unusual and nothing any of the brothers did would make him put such a project on pause. They'd tried many times before with no results. None that didn't end in the scientist's wrath anyway.

"As much as I agree with you, there's no really much I can do to make Donnie at least take a break. Once he's started on something usually he doesn't rest until its completed" the leader stated, sighing deeply for his younger brother.

"Well….." Evangeline's words trailed off at first, a small smile creeping across her lips which drew a curious look from Leonardo. He _knew_ that tone in her voice.

"What did you do"

"I _may_ have taken the cube thing from him" she admitted, rubbing the back of her neck. Leo's brow ridges knitted together.

"You took it? You realize Don can pick locks? Whatever you locked it in-"

"-I stuffed it in my underwear drawer..." Eva interjected, making Leo's words stop dead. It took a moment for what she said to fully sink in, however, when it did, the eldest drew a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. He honestly didn't know whether to laugh, be embarrassed, or feel sorry for his younger brother.

"You know he won't rest until he gets it back" Leonardo stated, resting his chin in his palm, elbow perched on his knee.

"Yeah, but at least he had a break from working on it" Evangeline shrugged, standing from the floor of the livingroom, stretching her arms, "You want something to drink?"

"Water would be fine" Leo replied, watching the young woman turn to stride toward the kitchen. Unfortunately, his current position placed the turtle right at eye level with her behind, making it impossible for him not to catch a good glimpse of it. The yoga pants Eva had chosen to wear that evening left little obscurity to the slender, taught muscled legs that had the slightest natural gap in the upper thigh.

His eyes continued to wander, observing the smooth shape of her hips that swayed side to side when she walked. It was true that Eva no Victoria's Secret model, but she certainly had a pleasant curve to her small waist, and although her breasts weren't large, they didn't fall under tiny either. He watched silently from the living room floor as the petite young woman opened the fridge and bent over.

Leonardo immediately jerked his eyes away before he could look further. Damn it Raphael! The leader hadn't thought his brother's words would invade his thoughts so well, apparently he had been sorely wrong. Now the image that the red masked turtle had suggestively painted was back with a vengeance.

"You ok? You look a bit greener than usual" Eva stated, handing Leo his water before sitting back down in the floor. A small breath drew itself in, the eldest at a loss for words. What was he suppose to say? Even if Leonardo were to find a way to properly spit out what had just been going through his head, the possibly result was something the mutant turtle would rather avoid happening.

Where was the saving grace of an interruption when he needed one?

"I...guess I've just been feeling under the weather" Leo fibbed, taking a hasty sip of his water.

"Probably because you've been stressing just as bad as Donnie over this whole thing" Evangeline said, taking a sip of whatever she had chosen to drink before setting it down on the coffee table. She shifted her weight forward, scooting closer to the ninja.

"Eva, what are you doing?" Leonardo cautiously asked, instinctively leaning back when the young female leaned upward, bringing her face closer to his.

"Relax, I'm just checking for a fever" she reassured, reaching up to very gently press her fingers to his forehead. Easier said than done whenever the collar of her shirt was ever so slightly dipping down, allowing the tiniest glimpse at the delicate peach undergarment.

"Really Eva, I'm fine" he assured, raising his hands, without thinking, to delicately fasten above her hips and guide the young woman back down.

"Am I going to have to take something from you too?" she pouted, not seeming to even pay attention to his physical touch, or be uncomfortable with it. Her expression, however, brought a chuckle from Leonardo.

"No, I don't think that's necessary" He stated, reluctantly letting his hands fall from their resting place. Eva, however, stayed where she was.

"You're sure? Because honestly sometimes I-"

 _THUD_

Both Leo and Eva froze, instantly on full guard at the light thump that had came from her bedroom.

"Did you leave Zeus in your room?" Leonardo asked, the large mutant slowly rising from the carpet, drawing a single sword from its scabbard.

"No, I put him to bed hours ago" Evangeline whispered, suddenly feeling her pulse leap beneath her skin. Had the robots finally decided to make a move? What would they do if they were out matched? Maybe it really was a mistake to take the cube device from Donnie! Eva felt the tiniest trickle of fear go down her spine, taking a small, unconscious step toward Leonardo.

The leader himself found his mind running a bit rapid with the thoughts of he and Eva being caught with no backup and an enemy that could easily overpower them. No. No he refused to think like that. The moment he started to doubt himself would surely lead to what he feared. Step by step, the turtle approached the bedroom door, feeling Evangeline follow close behind.

Reaching back with his free hand, he gently pressed her further behind him. If these things were really in there he didn't want her in the crossfire. Leonardo drew in a deep breath, his nerves on high alert when the terrapin pushed the door open.

Only to find nothing.

Leo clicked on the light, brow ridges drawn together. They _had_ heard something, hadn't they?

"Oh shit!" Evangeline's swear snapped the turtle from his thoughts as the young woman wriggled under the bulky male's arm to rush into the room, stooping to pick something up.

"What are you doing out?" She asked, turning for Leo to see a beautifully patterned ball python in her hands. It was only then did Leo notice the open drawer in a shelving system right beside Evangeline's dresser, most likely being where the snake had fell from.

"Could what we heard have been that?" he asked, re-sheathing his katana before approaching.

"I'd say so, though I've never had any snakes escape from this racking system before, it's a bit odd" Eva stated, delicately placing her pet back where it had came from.

Leo ventured further into the room, his sharp eyes closely investigating every inch of the space. The carpet seemed fine, however there was a particular scent that lingered, something Leo was more than sure wasn't Eva's.

There was one more thing that the mutant noticed, that being the slightly cracked window on the far side of the room. Evangeline _never_ kept her windows open because of the danger the cold posed to her reptiles.

"Eva, can you give me Don's device?" Leo asked, drawing a weary eyebrow from the young woman.

"Why?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"I think I know why your snake was out" Leo said confidently, however chuckled at the look Eva was currently giving him, "I won't give it back to him, I promise"

Evangeline seemed to release a breath, stepping over to the dresser where she reluctantly opened the drawer and fished out the device.

"I'm holding you to that Leonardo"

"Oh trust me, I know"


	21. Chapter 20

Donatello sighed heavily, rubbing his temples in attempt to ward off the oncoming migraine that suddenly threatened to push through with a vengeance.

"So, explain to me how you managed to fail something _that_ simple?"

"You never said there was a thing filled with snakes _right next_ to her dresser!" Mikey protested, the two turtles standing in Donnie's lab.

"Because I thought it would be obvious which one was which! How the hell did you even decide that was the dresser?" Don exclaimed, running both hands over his bare scalp, suddenly feeling his weight drop into the chair behind him.

"I did what any logical person would do. Eenie-meanie-minie-mo" Michelangelo shrugged, "How was I suppose to know a big snake was going to come out at me?"

Poor Don thought the thudding in his head couldn't get any worse. Leonardo, no, the entire family was counting on him to get the T.T.R.T finished and if that didn't happen they were all in potential danger! The purple masked turtle rubbed his hands down his face, letting a heavy groan rumble from his chest. He loved his younger brother, but this one time Don really needed Mikey to pull through for him.

A light knocking suddenly alerted the to of the presence standing casually against the doorway.

"Hope I'm not interrupting something" Leonardo inquired, his arms crossing over his chest, eyes boring into the other two males.

"Leo! Bro, you're back way early.." Mikey piped, doing his famous _we're-totally-not-guilty-of-suspicious-stuff-behind-your-back_ look.

"Something came up" the elder brother replied, raising an eye ridge toward the youngest of the group. Mikey knew all too well what that look meant.

"Oh. No. Is that. A. Bat in the lair? I. Michelangelo. Had better go. Catch it!" Mikey enunciated, using his arms to make poorly exaggerated motions through the air as he slowly inched his way passed their leader. Donatello glared after the badly acted escape. Traitor.

"Since when do you send Mikey to do your dirty work?" Leo asked, not wasting time cutting to the chase, a look of obvious disapproval on his face.

"Look Leo, Eva took the T.T.R.T! Without it, I can't trace the source of the signal we found in those robots! If I don't finish it we could be-!" Donnie began to protest, however was cut short when the eldest was able to fluidly produce the very device in question from seemingly nowhere, "How did you..? You didn't-!"

"I took a note from your advice Don, and asked nicely" Leo stated with the slightest quirk to the edge of his lips.

"This is amazing Leo!" the turtle genius exclaimed, rising from his seat to reach for the device, "Now I can finish triangul-"

Unfortunately for Donatello, his brother made sure to hold the cherished cube well out of reach.

"Leo..?"

It was in that moment, the leader really was able to see the damage that this whole fiasco was causing to his younger sibling. Dark under eye circles. Slow reflexes and reaction time. The smell of old coffee breath and lack of personal hygiene care, something Donnie always took pride in. Even his vast vocabulary was lacking.

"Three days." Leonardo uttered, grip tightening on the device.

"Wait, what?" Don questioned, unsure just what his brother was saying.

"Three days. Get some proper rest, a good meal and a shower. Until then, no working on this. Eva was right, this is going a little far, even for you Donnie"

Donatello gaped in horror and shock at his sibling, not knowing at the moment which was worse; the fact his brother was cutting him off for three days, or that he openly agreed with Evangeline now.

"Leo, we don't have time for this" Donatello pleaded, running a hand over his bare scalp.

"I never said this was debatable" Leonardo deadpanned, turning to stroll out of the lab area, leaving Don to bury his head in his hands.

Elsewhere in the lair, Raphael was emerging from the dojo when he caught the slightest glimpse of the top of an orange bandanna flicker around the corner. Knowing where this was leading, Raph followed, not being at all surprised to find his baby brother perched on a high pipeline, a full six of bottled hard ciders sitting next to him.

"Hope you're not plannin' on keepin' those to yourself" Raphael said, swinging up to seat himself next to the youngest turtle.

"Nah bro, wouldn't dream of it" Mikey replied evenly, handing an already open bottle to his brother.

"Good, because you already know I-"

"-Don't like me drinking alone. Yeah, I get it bro" Michelangelo interrupted, well aware of what his older sibling would say, though sometimes he wished his brother wasn't so perceptive. Ever since Raphael had caught him creeping off one night to drown himself in alcohol, the red masked turtle had developed something like a sixth sense of knowing. Luckily it was something they both agreed never to tell Leo or Donnie, considering how the two might react to their baby brother drinking liquor outside of social gatherings.

"What's eatin' ya little brother?" Raph asked, taking a deep swig from the bottle in his hand. Mikey quietly stared at the green finger tracing the neck of his, thinking hard on whether or not to say anything. Just like the first time he'd been caught.

"Just like coming up here for a drink is all" he fibbed, downing a fair amount of the liquid. Raphael could only watch, knowing full well he could never force his little brother to tell him what was wrong, but that didn't mean he couldn't at least be there for Mikey. It was obvious something was causing the usually goofy, energetic turtle to act like this but it didn't look like he would spill anytime soon, even under the influence.

"Why'd Leo come back early?" Raphael asked, deciding to change the subject.

"Probably because Donnie had me sneak into Eva's room to get his cube thing back"

Raph nearly spewed his drink.

"You _WHAT?"_

"Donnie asked me to, I guess she took it or something, but its not often he asks so I did it" Mikey shrugged, the light buzz from the cider making him mellow down into a much more serious version of himself.

"What did fearless say?" Raph asked, curious as to what had followed, especially with how their leader had been lately. Mikey shrugged again.

"He let me go and stayed to talk to Don"

Raph popped the cap on another bottle, now deep in thought. Since when did Leo not blow a gasket? Then again, things had been a little different lately considering the new distraction, even with the threat of whatever these android, robot things possibly tracking them down. A deep chuckle rumbled its way up, the red masked turtle slowly working into a hearty laugh, earning a bewildered stare from Mikey.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothin' lil'bro. Just thinkin' its about time we get a break. C'mon, we gotta help Eva with dinner tomorrow" the elder brother replied, picking up the remaining bottles of booze before hopping down from the pipeline. Mikey glanced at the empty bottle in his hand for a moment, a single thought flickering across his solemn face prior to hopping down in order to follow.


	22. Chapter 21

April stood over the cooking pot on the stove, avidly stirring the pot while Eva busied herself with pulling plates down from the cabinet. Casey had long since been banished from the kitchen after getting in the way and had been sent to get alcohol for later that evening, leaving just the girls in the upper apartment. April, however, was finding Evangeline wasn't one to start conversations or share random facts about herself.

"So!" The red head piped, desperate for some kind of interaction, "What made you want to have Thanksgiving dinner here? I would have thought you'd want to have it with your family?"

"I was never crazy about what family I have left, minus a few, besides, the guys have been great to have around" Eva replied, never looking up from gathering the silverware. Maybe a different approach? She thought for a moment, remembering something Donnie had mentioned once,

"So, I heard that Leo's been a pretty good teacher with showing you meditation"

 _That_ sparked a reaction from the normally stoic younger female, making her pause momentarily while sorting the spoons, the faintest twitch to her lip.

"As far as I've noticed. He is a good teacher" Eva responded stiffly, going back to what she was doing, though a bit more diligently.

"Yeah, once you get past the uptight, leader bit, Leo isn't such a bad guy when he opens up" April added purposely, glancing over at Evangeline who was obviously focused on something other than teaspoons and butter knives.

"He only puts up that leadership wall because he seems to think that the entire team's stability depends on his decisions as the oldest. You're right though, once he lets that go, even for a little while, Leonardo is one of the most kindhearted, and patient men I've ever met. Yea, he let's his judgment and role get in the way sometimes, which honestly turns him into a total ass, but then again who wouldn't be that way with that much weight on their shoulders?" Evangeline mumbled just within an audible volume, not seeming to completely notice that she had been absent mindedly rambling aloud. April turned to lean on the counter, a soft, yet mischievous grin on her lips.

"Sounds like you've really gotten to know Leonardo during your 'lessons'" she teased, crossing her arms and watching as Eva slowly came to realize the situation she'd placed herself in, the younger woman's face flickering a shade of pink.

"Well, we did do more than meditate" Eva objected, however quickly caught the naughty look on the red-head's face, " _Conversations!_ We had conversations!"

April struggled to keep herself reeled in while Evangeline fumbled with her words and actions, thoroughly disheveled. The older female couldn't believe how little it had taken to make the normally standoffish girl suddenly melt into a puddle of embarrassment. Or would it be considered denial? Either way, it was definitely a relief compared to normal. Then again, this did show cause for some concern.

"Evangeline, I would like to ask you something though" April suddenly brought up, making Eva's sputtering come to a halt, "Do you really accept them for what they are? For what Leo is?"

Evangeline's face slowly began to soften, the younger woman pulling out a stool at the bar counter to have a seat.

"Like I said, he's one of the most kindhearted and patient men I've ever met"

"But you realize they're mutants?" April pointed out, an eyebrow raising toward Eva, arms crossing with the stirring spoon still in hand. Eva, however, never so much as flinched.

"You sound like Donnie" Evangeline deadpanned with the slightest hint of an amused smile on her lips, "You both act like I'm blind or something. Then again, maybe our eyes are a lot more different than just in color"

April's eyebrow rose higher, a bit ,ore confused as Eva's gaze wandered across the room.

"I don't follow" the red-head gave, going back to stirring the food on the stove.

"When I look at Leonardo, I don't see a mutant anymore. I haven't for quite a while now. When I look at him, I see a man who just wants to protect the only family he has. A patient, loyal, just, and protective man that any woman would be lucky to have" Eva stated, her voice never wavering from its leveled tone, even though she could feel her heart knocking in her chest cavity. There it was, the very thing she'd been pushing down for a good while now, put into words in front of someone. Honestly she didn't know whether to be embarrassed or relieved.

April by this point ad all but dropped the spoon she'd been holding into the food, starring slack-jawed at the brunette at the bar.

"Evangeline, do you have feelings for Leo?" She asked quietly, knowing it was it was a dumb question considering what Eva had just said, however the way the female had stiffened up, she guessed it was something Eva herself was just coming to terms with.

"I..." Eva's voice broke off, having to swallow a lump that suddenly appeared in her throat, "I….never meant for it to happen"

It felt like a weight had been lifted off her chest, as if the sap-like stickiness that had been making it difficult to even breathe had suddenly dissolved into thin air. Who knew denial could do such a thing? It felt better, however now there was a new problem now that this was out in the open. April's expression softened, stepping forward to lean on the counter across from Eva, happy to actually be breaking through to her, despite the shocking news.

"We never do. How do you think I ended up with a knucklehead like Casey?" the red head chuckled, leaning her chin into her left palm, "So when are you going to tell him?"

"I don't really know if I could"

April's breath hitched, caught slightly off guard by the answer.

"What? Why?" She exclaimed, standing straight, a bit outraged.

"If I told him, do you really think he would believe me? Think about it. He'd probably think I'm joking, or trying to play with his feelings. That's even _if_ he feels the same way" Eva stated, her gaze slowly lowering to her fingers which picked nervously at her cuticles, a bad habit she'd never been able to kick. With each word, Evangeline could feel her heart sink lower and lower, all this reflecting heavily in her voice.

The older woman across from her felt her rage melt into understanding. Eva's fears were, in a way, justified considering the situation. How was she suppose to go about telling him when that could happen?

"Yo, dudettes! Michelangelo is here and ready to dig into some home-cooked, Thanksgiving goodness!" Mikey suddenly exclaimed as he emerged from his usual entry point, most likely having arrived long before his brothers, rubbing his hands together and licking his lips.


End file.
